Summary: Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed: (1) the Department of Defense's (DOD) policies and procedures for chartering commercial aircraft; (2) oversight procedures for monitoring carrier performance and compliance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety regulations; and (3) the investigation of the accident at Gander, Newfoundland, that resulted in the deaths of 248 U.S. military personnel.
GAO found that: (1) the Military Airlift Command (MAC) did not include appropriate safety clauses in its contracts with foreign airlines; (2) the ramp inspection program did not provide sufficient coverage of contractor aircraft or air taxi operators; (3) the safety clauses in current transportation agreements do not specifically charge contractors with the responsibility for flight safety; (4) in-flight quality checks were very limited; (5) DOD and FAA did not effectively communicate on charter oversight; (6) MAC did not include an evaluation of airline security programs in its airlift capability surveys; and (7) the December 1985 DC-8 accident was still under investigation to determine the aircraft's loaded weight and balance, the possible influence of ice buildup, and the aircraft's maintenance record.
