The FAA has hindered the development of airline safety because of its policy of safety. Part of its policy is the cost-benefit rule, which was an executive order issued by President Ronald Reagan in February 1981. This rule stated that the FAA could issue new rules only if they could show the potential economic benefits outweighed the likely costs. (Calonius, 91) This rule made it hard to justify any significant advance in safety on older airplanes because the costs may not be able to be recovered by the end of its service life. "The cost-benefit rule has served as a roadblock to safety and an excuse for inaction. The time has come to revoke the Reagan order and try a different, more rational approach to airline safety." (Nader and Smith, 317)

The FAA's policy of problem solving has also hindered the advancement of airline safety. The FAA has not tried to solve a problem until after a problem has already occurred. They have not tried to prevent problems when it may impose a high cost on to the airline industry either. In August 1990 the

Oster, Clinton V. Jr., Why Airplanes Crash: Aviation Safety in a Changing World,

The FAA has also hindered the development of airline safety because it has not been separated from the Department of Transportation. If the FAA was an independent body, it could get financing directly from airport and ticket taxes instead of getting funds that have to trickle down through the Department of Transportation. This would allow the FAA to make its own decision about buying technology instead of struggling through a long federal process and getting outdated equipment.

Oxford University Press, 1997, p. 476.

It's no wonder the inspectors missed the stress cracks in the fuselage of Aloha Airlines Flight 243. A section of the roof peeled back at 24,000 feet, flung one crew member into the ocean, and seriously injuring ten other people. The inspector also missed the fact that the plane was the second oldest plane that was currently in operation.

Safety, TAB/McGraw-Hill, 1995, p. 547.

Performance," Transportation Quarterly, April 1996, p. 247-256.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Nader Smith, Phillip Talley, Airlines Flight, Department Transportation, Reagan February, Oklahoma City, Michael Levine, Transportation FAA, , airline safety, Airline Flight, airline industry, faa hindered development, faa hindered, hindered development, development airline, development airline safety, department transportation, hindered development airline, regulation airline, safety policy, separate department transportation, hub-and-spoke routing system, routing system, separate department,
Approximate Word count = 1130
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)