The FAA hears distress calls from pilots facing emergencies. How well it responds is a different matter, according to an Associated Press story in the New York Times.
The story begins with the tale of Sam Smiley, who crashed in Georgia after his plane failed to clear a mountain ridge. The 78-year-old survived the crash, but it took rescuers two days to get to him. By then he was dead, the story recounts, adding:
“The National Transportation Safety Board cited Mr. Smiley’s case and four other accidents in a recent letter urging the FAA to tighten its procedures for reporting lost aircraft and quickly getting radar data to the Air Force. The board said miscommunication, a lack of trained personnel and other problems were hindering rescue efforts.”
