The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and Citation Jet Pilots (CJP) have asked the FAA to delay the rescission of certain Cessna Citation single-pilot exemptions by at least 90 days. In a Sept. 29 letter to FAA Flight Standards Service Executive Director Hugh Thomas, the organizations requested temporary relief for compliant operators while the agency reviews its safety findings.
The request follows the FAA’s decision to end exemptions that allowed certain legacy Citation aircraft to operate with one pilot. The policy took effect Sept. 29 and affects Citation 500, 550, S550 and 560 variants originally certificated for two-pilot operations. Pilots who previously received single-pilot endorsements through affected exemption holders can no longer rely on those endorsements to operate the aircraft alone.
Groups Question Supporting Data
“A temporary stay would not prevent oversight or enforcement against a specific entity presenting a demonstrated safety or compliance concern,” the organizations wrote in their letter.
NBAA and CJP said the FAA has not provided sufficient evidence to justify ending all affected exemptions, in part because it has not released the underlying accident data necessary for independent analysis. They said the lack of data also makes it difficult to distinguish compliant operators from those responsible for violations. The organizations also requested an FAA-industry working group to review the findings and develop alternative compliance measures.
FAA Cites Safety Concerns
In its Federal Register notice, the FAA cited widespread noncompliance among exemption holders, including incomplete training records and improper proficiency checks. The agency said 13 of the 14 Part 61 exemption holders it reviewed had their exemptions rescinded or extension requests denied.
It also reported that affected Part 25 Citations flown by a single pilot experienced approximately twice the accident rate of comparable Part 23 Citation models approved for single-pilot operations, based on the number of aircraft rather than flight hours. The requested pause would give the organizations additional time to examine those findings and negotiate a possible alternative with the FAA.
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