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Rep DeSaulnier in hearing

Congressman Mark DeSaulnier’s Statement on Alaska Airlines Incident

January 9, 2024

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman DeSaulnier (CA-10) issued the following statement on the Alaska Airlines flight 1282 incident that occurred when a panel on one of its planes bound for Southern California blew off, forcing an emergency landing.

“A safety incident of this magnitude in our aviation system is unacceptable. I am grateful there were no serious injuries aboard Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 and appreciate the important investigative work underway by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to determine what caused the incident that endangered almost 200 passengers and the flight crew,” said Congressman DeSaulnier. “I have been a longtime advocate for airlines to be more proactive in preventing incidents by improving data collection, and my Safe Landings Act would address several aviation safety issues also at play here, including increasing transparency of maintenance repair work and ensuring air carriers share all information with investigators in the event of incidents like this. I proudly supported the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill, which would require that cockpit voice recorders store 25-hours’ worth of audio data—data that would have been invaluable in investigating this serious incident. Unfortunately, this legislation is being held up in the Senate. I urge my Senate colleagues to recognize the dire need to pass this bill and act with urgency, and in the meantime, as a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation, I will continue to push for needed reforms so all passengers are safe when flying.”

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