commuter airline. Included in these actions are (1) personnel training, (2) equipment maintenance, (3) the provision of safe equipment, and (4) adherence to regulations. With respect to these action groups, the safety objectives of the commuter airline must be (respectively): (1) the effective training and periodic testing of all in flight personnel with respect to their abilities to perform their in flight duties; (2) the performance according to regulations of the appropriate aviation authority and of equipment manufacturers of all equipment maintenance, and the testing of equipment subsequent to the performance of required maintenance; (3) the acquisition of safe equipment; and (4) the monitoring of all in flight personnel to insure that all regulations and procedures are observed.
Subsequent to the beginning of deregulation in the American airline industry in 1979, many critics charged that the standards of maintenance and crew training in the industry deteriorated significantly over the next several years (McKinnon, 1985). Both maintenance and crew training are directly related to the level of air safety. Both the airlines and the federal government have rigorously disputed such charges. It has been, of course, in the interest of both groups to deny the validity of the charges. For the airlines, it has been seen as necessary to retain public confidence in their operations. For the federal government, it has been seen as a necessary support for their deregulation program.
Several crashes and other incidents occurred in the 1980 1985 period which were attributed by some critics to poor maintenance standards on the part of airlines. Statements by major aircraft manufacturers implied that some of the crashes were due to just such causes (Shapiro, 1985b; Ford, 1984). Similarly, there was some support from aircraft manufacturers for charges that sub standard crew training contributed to some incidents (Shapiro, 1985a; Fo...