Which organization licenses pilots, certifies aircraft, and enforces safety rules for air travel?

• A. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
• B. Air Transport Authority
• C. Civil Aviation Authority
• D. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

Answer: (D)

Licensing pilots, certifying aircraft, and enforcing safety rules are duties of the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA issues pilot certificates (and medical certificates), certifies aircraft to meet airworthiness standards, and writes and enforces the safety regulations that govern how airplanes operate in the United States. It also oversees maintenance personnel certification and aviation facilities, and it enforces compliance through inspections and penalties. The NTSB, by contrast, investigates accidents and makes safety recommendations but does not issue licenses or certify aircraft. The Civil Aviation Authority is the name used by some other countries for their regulator, not the U.S. agency, and an Air Transport Authority isn’t a recognized U.S. aviation regulator.