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.

FMI: http://chandler.house.gov/, www.natca.org