Says Logs Prove Shortage Of Qualified Personnel
What the National Air Traffic Controller's Association calls a
"worsening air traffic controller shortage" at one of the
nation’s busiest radar control centers, Washington Air Route
Traffic Control Center (ZDC), forced the Federal Aviation
Administration to delay flights headed to, from or above the
nation’s capital region on several occasions Saturday.
The union -- locked in a bitter contract dispute with the agency
that employs its membership -- considers the episode another sign
of looming trouble for the busy spring/summer travel season, due to
what the union calls "massive losses of veteran controllers fed up
with imposed work rules and pay freezes."
Washington Center controls a large swath of airspace extending
from New Jersey to the Carolinas, west to the Appalachian
Mountains. Coordinating closely with Potomac Terminal Radar
Approach Control (TRACON), this facility works flights to and from
the three major Washington, DC/Baltimore metropolitan area
airports.
In addition to weather-related issues, the word "staffing" is
referenced numerous times as a reason for flight restrictions on
FAA activity logs for Washington Center (ZDC), which is also
confirmed by the logs for Potomac TRACON (PCT). An example of those
logs is available at the first FMI link.
Based on those logs, the worst of the staffing problems were in
a part of Washington Center called "Area 6," in which controllers
work airspace over both North Carolina and South Carolina. On
Saturday at 0740 EDT, the FAA log summary indicates the Area 6 FAA
supervisor reported "reduced staffing." There were just four fully
certified controllers on duty, with one trainee. NATCA considers
appropriate staffing to be eight to nine fully certified
controllers.
The log shows that at 0745 EDT, spacing between flights -- known
as "miles in trail," or MIT -- along the East Coast was increased
by FAA management officials "due to staffing." At 0904 EDT, a
ground stop was issued for all traffic departing Washington
airports and headed for one particular radar position, called the
DAILY fix, on an airway that aircraft use to travel south to places
such as Florida, Savannah, GA, and Charleston, SC... due again to
inadequate staffing levels.
At one point, according to FAA logs from Potomac TRACON,
Washington Center was forced to put 50 miles between aircraft using
the DAILY fix "due to staffing." The log states that 30-minute
departure delays "were reported as (a) result." Normal spacing
between flights on this air route is 15-20 miles, according to the
union.
The facility worked with Washington Center to "reroute these
aircraft," the log states.