Commuter planes that seat 20 to 30 passengers will soon have to meet the same safety standards as a Boeing 747. The Federal Aviation Administration says it will adopt recommendations made by the National Transportation Safety Board Tuesday. Some changes: -- Maximum pilot hours reduced 20% to 100 per month. -- Dispatchers hired to advise on weather and fueling. -- More safety gear, such as a low altitude windshear detector. Cost: $10,000 a plane. Planes with 10 to 19 seats must also make changes where feasible. There are 760 commuter planes with 10 to 19 seats; 270 with 20 to 30. Regional airlines will take a financial "hit," says consultant Tim Sieber, and a few small cities may lose service. The Regional Airline Association backs the changes, says chief Walter Coleman, because they can't be seen as less safe. The NTSB launched a study in February after a crash a year ago in Hibbing, Minn., killed 18. The American Eagle plane that crashed Oct. 31 in Indiana, killing 68, was under the strictest standards. The International Airline Passengers Association Monday advised fliers to avoid small commuter planes. NTSB board member John Lauber denounced the consumer group's warning as "bordering on the irresponsible," calling commuters "very safe."
