CesnaCaptn
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2001
- Posts
- 724
So, I wonder what happens to the pilots who received the violations.
http://www.atwonline.com/news/story.html?storyID=12516
FAA removes DFW TRACON managers, admits cover-up of ATC error 'misclassifications'
Friday April 25, 2008 FAA removed two senior Dallas-area ATC managers from their positions yesterday following revelations in a government report that Dallas-Fort Worth Terminal Approach Control management "routinely and intentionally" misclassified ATC operational errors and deviations as pilot errors or nonevents.
The damaging report from the Dept. of Transportation Inspector General found that ATC managers covered up mistakes and that complaints by a whistleblower controller were not responded to by FAA. The agency, which has been criticized heavily for dysfunction at its Dallas-area office that oversees Southwest Airlines (ATWOnline, April 21), responded quickly, removing the DFW TRACON facility manager and assistant manager and announcing new measures to prevent misclassification of ATC operational errors. "I am deeply disturbed by the findings in this report," Air Traffic Organization COO Hank Krakowski said.
According to FAA, the IG found that "management at the Dallas-Fort Worth TRACON investigated operational errors and deviations, but routinely and intentionally misclassified them as pilot errors or nonevents. The report was prompted by whistleblower allegations. . .It found that between November 2005 and July 2007, TRACON managers misclassified 62 air traffic events as pilot deviation or nonevents when in fact there were 52 operational errors and 10 operational deviations." The agency noted that no such misclassifications have been discovered at other TRACONs.
Krakowski said FAA will accelerate deployment of the Traffic Analysis Review Program, software that automatically detects losses of aircraft separation at terminal facilities and will prevent misclassification. Full nationwide deployment will be completed by the end of 2009. The agency also will establish an independent "quality assurance position" to oversee incident reporting and "audit the data integrity of facility reports."
The IG said that a whistleblower controller first alleged impropriety at the DFW TRACON in 2002 and repeated the allegations over the next several years but, similar to complaints made by investigators overseeing SWA maintenance, FAA did not follow up. "The intentional distortion of reporting incidents defeats our ability to understand the root causes of errors and enact mitigation if we see a trend developing," Krakowski said.
by Aaron Karp
http://www.atwonline.com/news/story.html?storyID=12516
FAA removes DFW TRACON managers, admits cover-up of ATC error 'misclassifications'
Friday April 25, 2008 FAA removed two senior Dallas-area ATC managers from their positions yesterday following revelations in a government report that Dallas-Fort Worth Terminal Approach Control management "routinely and intentionally" misclassified ATC operational errors and deviations as pilot errors or nonevents.
The damaging report from the Dept. of Transportation Inspector General found that ATC managers covered up mistakes and that complaints by a whistleblower controller were not responded to by FAA. The agency, which has been criticized heavily for dysfunction at its Dallas-area office that oversees Southwest Airlines (ATWOnline, April 21), responded quickly, removing the DFW TRACON facility manager and assistant manager and announcing new measures to prevent misclassification of ATC operational errors. "I am deeply disturbed by the findings in this report," Air Traffic Organization COO Hank Krakowski said.
According to FAA, the IG found that "management at the Dallas-Fort Worth TRACON investigated operational errors and deviations, but routinely and intentionally misclassified them as pilot errors or nonevents. The report was prompted by whistleblower allegations. . .It found that between November 2005 and July 2007, TRACON managers misclassified 62 air traffic events as pilot deviation or nonevents when in fact there were 52 operational errors and 10 operational deviations." The agency noted that no such misclassifications have been discovered at other TRACONs.
Krakowski said FAA will accelerate deployment of the Traffic Analysis Review Program, software that automatically detects losses of aircraft separation at terminal facilities and will prevent misclassification. Full nationwide deployment will be completed by the end of 2009. The agency also will establish an independent "quality assurance position" to oversee incident reporting and "audit the data integrity of facility reports."
The IG said that a whistleblower controller first alleged impropriety at the DFW TRACON in 2002 and repeated the allegations over the next several years but, similar to complaints made by investigators overseeing SWA maintenance, FAA did not follow up. "The intentional distortion of reporting incidents defeats our ability to understand the root causes of errors and enact mitigation if we see a trend developing," Krakowski said.
by Aaron Karp
