ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION No. 93

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED MAY 13, 1996

By Assemblyman ZISA and Assemblywoman WEINBERG

An Assembly Resolution memorializing the Federal Aviation Administration to establish the minimum age at which a person may manipulate the controls of an aircraft with another pilot on board as 16 years.

Whereas, On April 10, 1996, Jessica Dubroff of Pescadero, California, age seven, tried to set an aviation record by becoming the youngest person to pilot an aircraft across the United States; and

Whereas, On April 11, 1996, Jessica Dubroff, along with her father, Lloyd Dubroff and her flight instructor, Joe Reid crashed soon after taking off from the Cheyenne, Wyoming, airport into a rapidly approaching thunderstorm; and

Whereas, The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) regulations allow the manipulation of flight controls by non-pilots of any age on dual control aircraft, even during takeoffs and landings; and

Whereas, The FAA needs to revise its regulations to require that the minimum age to fly with another pilot be raised to 16 years; now, therefore,

    Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. The Federal Aviation Administration is respectfully memorialized to establish the minimum age at which a person may manipulate the controls of an aircraft with another pilot on board as 16 years.

    2. Duly authenticated copies of this resolution, signed by the Speaker of the General Assembly and attested by the Clerk thereof, shall be transmitted to the President of the United States, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration and every member of Congress elected from this State.

STATEMENT

    This resolution memorializes the Federal Aviation Administration to establish the minimum age at which a person may manipulate the controls of an aircraft with another pilot on board as 16 years. The purpose of this resolution is to prevent another tragedy from occurring such as the one on April 11, 1996, where Jessica Dubroff, of Pescadero, California, along with her father, Lloyd Dubroff and her flight instructor, Joe Reid crashed soon after taking off from the Cheyenne, Wyoming, airport into a rapidly approaching thunderstorm. The previous day, Jessica Dubroff, age seven, started her cross-country flight in order to set an aviation record by becoming the youngest person to pilot an aircraft across the United States.

Memorializes FAA to establish the minimum age at which a person may manipulate the controls of an aircraft with another pilot on board as 16 years.