The National Transportation Safety Board says that Alaska needs a comprehensive effort to improve aviation safety.
The NTSB issued a safety recommendation to the Federal Aviation Administration on Feb. 20, calling for the formation of a working group to help improve safety in a state where the aviation accident rate from 2008 to 2017 was more than two times higher than the rest of the U.S.
The NTSB says that the group should review, rank, and integrate Alaska’s unique aviation needs into the FAA's efforts to increase safety. Statistics show the fatal aviation accident rate in the Alaska was 1.34 times higher than the national average.
Earlier this month, five people died on a flight from Bethel to the coastal community of Kipnuk. The accident remains under investigation.