O'Hare near misses

ATC personnel may need some re-training?

U.S. safety investigators are looking into two runway near misses
in Chicago this week, renewing examination of ground safety
efforts. The National Transportation Safety Board said on
Friday the incidents occurred on Tuesday afternoon and Thursday
morning at O'Hare airport, and highlighted concerns about air
traffic controllers' procedures for managing congested runways
and taxiways. In the first incident, a LUFTHANSA Airbus A319
and an aircraft operated by a regional airline, Chautauqua
Airlines, a unit of REPUBLIC AIRWAYS, were rolling down
intersecting runways at the same time when a controller noticed
they were headed for each other. Both planes were alerted to
abort and they stopped rolling when they were about 100 feet
(30 meters) apart, the safety board said. In the second
incident, the pilot of a UNITED AIRLINES BOEING 737 aborted its
takeoff after seeing another United plane, an Airbus A320,
beginning to roll toward the same runway from an intersecting
taxiway. Those planes were about 600 feet (180 meters) apart,
the NTSB said. The safety board is concerned that automated FAA
systems for warning controllers when planes come too close
together on the ground is not adequate for congested runways at
the biggest airports. Airbus is co-owned by EADS and BAE SYSTEMS
PLC.
(Reuters 07:29 PM ET 03/24/2006)

Mo

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