Following the 2009 Colgan Air crash, FAA requested that air carriers implement policies for asking pilot applicants to voluntarily disclose their records, including any unsatisfactory flight tests. Additionally, through the 2010 Airline Safety and Extension Act, Congress mandated that the FAA develop and implement a PRD consisting of pertinent information from FAA, air carriers, and other records (including the National Driver Register). The records are to be maintained in the database for the life of a pilot to ensure comprehensive pilot records are available to air carriers during the hiring process.

The FAA’s progress in developing and implementing the pilot records database remains limited, and its completion remains uncertain. The Agency does not expect to issue a related rulemaking until 2017, and the database will likely not be fully implemented until more than a decade after Congress mandated its creation in 2010. Moreover, the FAA has yet to make key decisions regarding how to incorporate historical records or how air carriers will transition to and access the database. In the meantime, air carriers, in large part, do not have all relevant pilot records available to review when evaluating pilot applicants. 

Specifically, the FAA has not determined whether air carriers have followed through on their voluntary commitments to request additional records from FAA when hiring new pilots. As a result, air carriers are not able to fully evaluate prior performance when deciding whether to hire a pilot. The Office of Inspector General made three recommendations to the FAA to better manage its implementation of the pilot records database and ensure that air carriers have all available information on a pilot’s training performance. The FAA concurred with all three recommendations. Based on FAA’s response, the Office of Inspector General consider two recommendations open but resolved, and are requesting additional information for one recommendation. 

Office of Inspector General Recommendations - OIG previously recommended, the FAA should complete inspections to ensure pilot records are being retained for inclusion in the PRD. Also, to better manage its implementation of the PRD and ensure that air carriers have all available information on a pilot’s training performance, we recommend that the FAA: 

1. Develop a clearly defined and expedited schedule for the development and implementation of a PRD, including cost estimates and project timelines.

2. As part of the standard PRIA response letter, incorporate a written notification to air carriers that additional records may be available through FOIA and Privacy Act requests.