Canada: Budget cuts, weak govt oversight caused rise in airline accidents

A pilot group responsible for aviation safety inspections said Tuesday that budget cuts had weakened government oversight and triggered a spike in airline accidents and near misses in 2017, after years of improving flight safety. According to preliminary figures from the Transportation Safety Board (TSB), the number of aircraft accidents rose to 239 last year, up from 230 in 2016. Commercial aviation had a particularly dangerous year, with 94 accidents reported, compared with 63 the previous year. This included a December crash in northern Saskatchewan province that was the first fatal accident involving a Canadian airliner since 2011. Total aviation incidents, meanwhile, rose to 921, "which represents a significant increase compared to the previous year (833) and the five-year average (737)," the TSB said. "These data, especially the sharp increase in incidents, tell me a major accident is coming," warned Greg McConnell, chair of the Canadian Federal Pilots Association. The pilots association represents some 450 government pilots responsible for aviation inspections, pilot flight testing, licensing, certification, developing operating standards and investigating accidents. It said Transport Canada's "systematic dismantling of aviation safety oversight has accelerated in recent years due to budget shortfalls. "Most recently, the safety regulator handed off checking the skills and competencies of commercial pilots to the airlines."<br/>