FAA proposes much tougher requirements for airline co-pilots

— -- Co-pilots for commercial airlines would have to fly six times longer to be qualified to sit the cockpit under a proposed change in training rules the Federal Aviation Administration released Monday.

In addition to requiring co-pilots to train as much as captains do now, the rules would have captains spend more time in the cockpit to earn their rank.

The tougher rules come in response to a congressional demand for new training requirements following the crash of a Colgan Air jet that killed 50 people near Buffalo on Feb. 12, 2009.

The National Transportation Safety Board blamed the pilots for the Colgan crash, particularly for failure to manage the flight, deal with icing and maintain airspeed. The board's recommendations to the FAA focused on better training for flight crews.

"Our pilots need to have the right training and the right qualifications so they can be prepared to handle any situation they encounter in the cockpit," acting FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said in releasing the proposal.

Under the proposal for both passenger and cargo planes, co-pilots would have to fly 1,500 hours to receive an Airline Transport Pilot certificate, compared with the 250 hours required currently.

The proposed rules would:

•Require a pilot to fly an additional 1,000 hours after getting a pilot's certificate to serve as a captain. The current rule requires 1,500 hours to be a captain.

•Create a new category for piloting a plane with more than one engine, which would require extra training and 50 hours of flying a plane with multiple engines.

The FAA also proposed exceptions to the tougher requirements for military pilots and those who earn bachelor's degrees in aviation. The rules would let these pilots obtain a "restricted privileges" certificate to serve as a co-pilot, but not as a captain.

Former military pilots with 750 hours of flight time would be able to apply for a restricted certificate. Graduates with a four-year degree could apply with 1,000 hours of flight time.

The FAA said it identified 61 accidents — which killed 107 people and seriously injured 28 others — during the past decade that could have been mitigated had the proposed training requirements been in place.

The FAA estimates the rule will cost airlines $73.9 million a year for more pilot training

The industry group Airlines for America, which represents the largest commercial carriers, said it would review the proposal before commenting in detail.

"Safety will always be the industry's top priority, and (the group) recognizes the need to update pilot training and qualification requirements to support today's complex operating environment," spokesman Steve Lott said.

The rule to be published Wednesday will have a 60-day public comment period, and the agency could make changes depending on those responses before the rule is final. Congress ordered the FAA to put tougher requirements to be in place by Aug. 2, 2013.