Air Safety Week, "Study Highlights High Price of Lessons Not Learned from Disasters"

          A new report on the airplane certification process reveals that many of the same problems identified two decades ago remain uncorrected today. However, by characterizing the issue as a lack of information, the report may downplay the tardiness of corrective actions even in the face of well-documented deficiencies.
          The problem extends to approval of post-production modifications and equipment installations, such as in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems. The new report, titled the "Commercial Airplane Certification Process Study" (CPS), is significant, not only for its discouraging findings, but because its revelations deal with a subject of primary importance.
          Certification is the process by which aircraft, engines, equipment, systems and components are approved for use. Certification ideally should address the interaction of these elements to safely function in the airplane as a total entity. As such, certification standards define safety standards. If standards are deficient, or silent on key issues, safety suffers.