Representative Calls For Official Inquiry
Representative Ben
Chandler is calling for a congressional inquiry into FAA staffing
policies, following the August 27 loss of a Comair regional jet at
Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, KY.
Lexington is in Congressman Chandler's district. He told the
Louisville Courier-Journal the FAA assured him tower managers
understand the need for two controllers in airport towers at all
times adding, "However, a mere six days later, both Lexington and
Louisville reported a shortage of controllers."
It's widely believed that had the tower at Lexington been
staffed with more than one controller the morning Comair flight
5191 crashed, the accident may been averted.
Congress has already shown an interest in FAA staffing. As ANN reported earlier this
month, representatives from Minnesota and Illinois
have already contacted the DOT with questions regarding FAA
compliance with staffing rules. This week, California senator Diane
Feinstein also expressed concern over staffing at the Southern
California TRACON.
FAA Spokeswoman Laura Brown told the Journal Lexington and
Louisville do have enough controllers adding, "Nationwide, we have
enough controllers to safely handle the shifts now, but in the
extraordinary event we have too few controllers on a shift, we have
backup procedures in place to transfer airspace to another air
traffic facility or to increase the spacing between planes.
"But that's a very unusual circumstance," she added.
Of course, questions surrounding staffing at FAA control
facilities are nothing new for the National Air Traffic
Controllers Association -- but the issue has gained
national attention in the aftermath of the Comair accident.
"We applaud and support Congressman Chandler’s attempts to
hold the FAA accountable for its staffing policies," NATCA
spokesman Doug Church told ANN. "The agency has suffered a net loss
of over 1,000 controllers in the past three years, with more
controllers retiring or resigning almost daily. There is a serious
staffing crisis occurring in this country and we are pleased that
several members of Congress, led by Congressman Chandler, have
taken steps to bring this important safety issue into the public
spotlight."
In other developments, construction on a new taxiway at
Lexington has been suspended by order of Fayette County Circuit
Court Judge Pamela Goedwine. The order will give families of
victims the opportunity to view the airport on September 27th as it
would have appeared the morning of the accident.