Sun, Mar 31, 2013
Suit Claims Agency Failed To Exercise Legal Obligation To Assess Risks To Safety
Saying the FAA failed to exercise its legal obligation to assess the risks to safety that might be caused by the shutdown of air traffic control operations, the Spokane, Washington airport board has filed suit to stop the closing of the tower at the city's Felts Field. The suit was filed Monday, March 25 in the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington reports Bloomberg.
Felts Field is a reliever facility for Spokane International Airport. With 52,000 takeoff and landings annually, it fell just under the average of 54,000 operations where the FAA drew a line in the sand when determining its budget cutting tower closures. Some 149 small and midsize airports are slated to lose air-traffic control services by contractors as part of the FAA’s plan to trim $637 million in spending under so-called sequestration.
In a March 22nd letter to FAA Administrator Micheal Huerta the board asked that he delay the closure while the court reviews its petition. However, if Huerta declines Larry Krauter, chief executive officer of the airport board, said “we will ask the court for a temporary restraining order.”
The letter argues that the FAA's own policies require it "to assess the risks associated with significant changes to air traffic procedures” before “any such change is implemented, and which the FAA has entirely failed to apply in this action.”
The safety review is among legal obligations which “are not excused by the sequestration legislation,” according to the letter.
More News
Takeoff Roll The process whereby an aircraft is aligned with the runway centerline and the aircraft is moving with the intent to take off. For helicopters, this pertains to the act>[...]
“We’re proud of the hard work that went into receiving this validation, and it will be a welcome relief to our customers in the European Union. We couldn’t be mor>[...]
"Aircraft Spruce is pleased to announce the acquisition of the parts distribution operations of Wag-Aero. Wag-Aero was founded in the 1960’s by Dick and Bobbie Wagner in the >[...]
IDENT Feature The special feature in the Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System (ATCRBS) equipment. It is used to immediately distinguish one displayed beacon target from other be>[...]
Aero Linx: Pararescue Air Force Pararescuemen, also known as PJs, are the only DoD elite combat forces specifically organized, trained, equipped, and postured to conduct full spect>[...]