FAA Program Allows Immunity For ATC Employees Who Report Safety Lapses

A program instituted 18 months ago by the FAA has reportedly revealed a high number of air traffic errors that might have previously gone unreported. The Air Traffic Safety Action Program (ATSAP) was instituted by the FAA to allow air traffic controllers to point out safety lapses with a guarantee of immunity as whistle blowers.

According to a report in USA Today, more than 14,000 incidents have been submitted to the automated, online system since the program began.

The weekly report for March 29th, the most recent available online, shows that 5,711 of the 6,372 controllers registered to use the system have made at least one report of a perceived safety issue since the program began. The report indicates there are 14,867 FAA employees who are eligible to register to participate in the reporting program.

Most of the incidents reported the week of March 29th were for Loss of Separation between aircraft, followed by the category "Unsafe Situation."

The monthly reports break down the data further, analyzing reported events by facility type, top contributing factors, and other criteria. The monthly documents also highlight some specific issues and offer solutions. For instance, in once case an En Route controller cleared an aircraft to descend to 2500 feet which s/he believed was the Minimum Safe Altitude (MSA) for the particular area. The Minimum Safe Altitude Warning (MSAW) alerted at 2900 feet. The overhead charts depicted 2500 feet as the MSA. The controller was not aware that the MSA had been raised to 2900 feet a week earlier. As a result, the ERC (Event Review Committee) communicated the issue and the charts were updated accordingly.

"This is a way for us to get new sets of eyes and ears in a lot of places," FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt told USA Today. "I think everybody agrees there will be a safer system in the long run."

There has been some controversy associated with the program. Some question the advisability of granting immunity to controllers who make serious errors. But FAA officials say the trade off is greater knowledge about risks, and NATCA safety chairman Steven Hansen says the union membership has been quick to embrace the system.

FMI: www.faa.gov