00 HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 33                                                                                           
01 Relating to Federal Aviation Administration approval of installations of tundra tires                                   
02 on aircraft.                                                                                                            
03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
04  WHEREAS, after January 21, 1997, the Federal Aviation Administration no longer                                         
05 allows aviation safety inspectors to issue field approvals for installation of tundra tires on                          
06 aircraft; and                                                                                                           
07  WHEREAS persons who wish to install tundra tires on their aircraft must now contact                                    
08 an aircraft certification office to obtain approval for the installation of tundra tires; and                           
09  WHEREAS tests conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration demonstrated that                                       
10 the installation of tundra tires on aircraft had either negligible effects or acceptable effects on                     
11 aircraft handling and stall characteristics; and                                                                        
12  WHEREAS the Federal Aviation Administration has determined that the installation                                       
13 of tundra tires on aircraft does not represent a hazard to safety; and                                                  
14  WHEREAS the Federal Aviation Administration has determined that the major cause                                        
01 of aircraft accidents involving aircraft with tundra tires is pilot error; and                                          
02  WHEREAS discontinuing the former practice of allowing field approval of tundra tire                                    
03 installations will not improve air safety but will cause significant inconvenience to pilots in                         
04 Alaska;                                                                                                                 
05  BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests the Federal                                     
06 Aviation Administration to reinstitute the practice of allowing aviation safety inspectors to                           
07 issue field approvals for tundra tire installation.                                                                     
08  COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Rodney E. Slater, Secretary,                                  
09 U.S. Department of Transportation; the Honorable Barry L. Valentine, Acting Administrator,                              
10 Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation; and to the Honorable Ted                            
11 Stevens and the Honorable Frank Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young,                                  
12 U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.