PUBLIC LAW 100-591—NOV. 3, 1988

102 STAT. 3011

Public Law 100-591
100th Congress

An Act

To amend the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 relating to aviation research,

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the
1988".

'Aviation Safety Research Act of

SEC. 2. AVIATION MAINTENANCE AND FIRE SAFETY RESEARCH.

Section 312(b) of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 (49 U.S.C. App.
1353(b)) is amended by inserting after the first sentence the follow-
ing: "The Administrator shall undertake or supervise research to
develop technologies and to conduct data analyses for predicting the
effects of aircraft design, maintenance, testing, wear, and fatigue on
the life of aircraft and on air safety, to develop methods of analyzing
and improving aircraft maintenance technology and practices
(including nondestructive evaluation of aircraft structures), to assess
the fire and smoke resistance of aircraft materials, to develop
improved fire and smoke resistant materials for aircraft interiors, to
develop and improve fire and smoke containment systems for in-
flight aircraft fires, and to develop advanced aircraft fuels with low
flammability and technologies for containment of aircraft fuels for
the purpose of minimizing post-crash fire hazards/'.

SEC. 3. RESEARCH ON RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMAN FACTORS AND

AIR SAFETY AND ON DYNAMIC SIMULATION MODELING.

Section 312(c) of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 (49 U.S.C. App.
1353(c)) is amended by inserting after the first sentence the follow-
ing: "The Administrator shall undertake or supervise research to
develop a better understanding of the relationship between human
factors and aviation accidents and between human factors and air
safety, to enhance air traffic controller and mechanic and flight
crew performance, to develop a human-factor analysis of the haz-
ards associated with new technologies to be used by air traffic
controllers, mechanics, and flight crews, and to identify innovative
and effective corrective measures for human errors which adversely
affect air safety. The Administrator shall undertake or supervise a
research program to develop dynamic simulation models of the air
traffic control system and airport design and operating procedures
which will provide analytical technology for predicting airport and
air traffic control safety and capacity problems, for evaluating
planned research projects, and for testing proposed revisions in
airport and air traffic control operations programs."

SEC. 4. RESEARCH PLAN AND REPORTS.

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 312 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958
(49 U.S.C. App. 1353) is amended by adding at the end the following
new subsection:

Nov. 3, 1988
[H.R. 4686]

Aviation Safety

Research Act of

1988.

49 USC app.

1301 note.