Pilot groups ask FAA for 90-day pause on Citation single-pilot exemption rollback

The National Business Aviation Association and Citation Jet Pilots have asked the FAA to hold off at least 90 days before withdrawing single-pilot exemptions covering some older Cessna Citation models. In a letter dated Sept. 29 to Hugh Thomas, executive director of the agency's Flight Standards Service, the groups seek interim relief for operators who are meeting the rules while the FAA works through its safety findings.

The FAA ended the exemptions the same day. The change covers Citation 500, 550, S550 and 560 variants originally certificated for two-pilot operation. Pilots who obtained single-pilot endorsements through the exemption holders affected by the decision can no longer use them to fly the aircraft alone.

The two groups question the evidence behind the move. They say the FAA has not released the accident data that would let outsiders assess the decision, and that without it, operators who comply are hard to separate from those cited for violations. A temporary stay would not block oversight or enforcement against an operator with a demonstrated safety or compliance problem, according to the letter. The organizations also want an FAA-industry working group to examine the findings and work out other ways to comply.

The FAA's Federal Register notice cited broad noncompliance among exemption holders, listing incomplete training records and improper proficiency checks. Of the 14 Part 61 exemption holders the agency reviewed, 13 had their exemptions rescinded or their requests for an extension turned down. The notice also reported that single-pilot operations of the affected Part 25 Citations had roughly twice the accident rate.