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Dallas-Fort Worth TRACON Management Routinely Misclassified Operational Errors and Deviations as Pilot Errors
Are these the same ATC personnel with whom we entrust our lives in IMC? Very tacky. And apparently there's a history of this malfeasance at the Dallas-Fort Worth TRACON. If found guilty, what's it going to take to get these criminals terminated from any and all government service? http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releas...m?newsId=10213 Printer Friendly Email Page Washington Headquarters Press Release -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For Immediate Release April 24, 2008 Contact: Diane Spitaliere Phone: (202) 267-3883 FAA Takes Steps to Ensure Proper Reporting of Operational Errors WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today announced steps to strengthen the reporting system designed to classify airspace errors, in response to a report by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Inspector General (IG) that revealed the intentional misclassification of operational errors at the Dallas-Fort Worth Terminal Approach Control (TRACON). In direct response to IG recommendations contained in a report issued today, the FAA removed both the facility manager and assistant manager at the Dallas-Fort Worth TRACON from their positions pending a final determination on possible further personnel actions; additional personnel actions may be taken. The Air Traffic Safety Oversight organization has implemented unannounced on-site audits at the TRACON, requiring monthly reports to the FAA’s acting administrator. Additionally, the FAA will accelerate deployment of the Traffic Analysis Review Program (TARP) — software that automatically detects losses of aircraft separation at terminal facilities — at Dallas-Fort Worth TRACON. The program will be implemented by the end of fiscal year 2008. “I am deeply disturbed by the findings in this report,” said Hank Krakowski, chief operating officer of the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization. “I am personally committed to making sure the IG’s recommendations are implemented and that managers are held accountable.” Specifically, the IG found that management at the Dallas-Fort Worth TRACON investigated operational errors and deviations, but routinely and intentionally misclassified them as pilot errors or non-events. The report was prompted by whistleblower allegations that management was covering up operational errors and deviations. It found that between November 2005 and July 2007, TRACON managers misclassified 62 air traffic events as pilot deviation or non-events when it fact there were 52 operational errors and 10 operational deviations. The IG found no evidence of misclassification issues beyond the Dallas-Fort Worth TRACON. Krakowski said the FAA is putting measures in place to ensure that misclassifications cannot happen anywhere else in the system. The FAA will establish a nationwide, independent quality assurance position that will report directly to the just-appointed vice president of Safety Services for the Air Traffic Organization, Air Force Reserve Brigadier General Robert O. Tarter. The position will oversee incident reporting, make incident determinations, and audit the data integrity of facility reports. Currently, responsibility for incident determination lies solely with the facility manager. This move increases accountability of the managers by adding senior-level oversight. The FAA will also be accelerating the nation-wide deployment of the TARP by the end of 2009. “The safety of the traveling public is our top priority and will not be compromised. The intentional distortion of reporting incidents defeats our ability to understand the root causes of errors and enact mitigation if we see a trend developing,” Krakowski said. “Aside from the integrity issue, it’s a lost opportunity to gain insight into causal factors,” Krakowski added. “That action is fundamental to safety and we won’t tolerate anything less.” The Safety Services organization will conduct audits of all air traffic control incidents and coordinate the findings and responses with the highest level officials in the FAA. Within the next six months, the FAA will provide nation-wide training for Air Traffic facility managers and safety officials about roles and responsibilities for reporting and classifying airspace errors. The agency’s inspector workforce will simultaneously be retrained on their responsibilities for conducting investigations of reported pilot deviations. The FAA recently signed an agreement with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association to create the Air Traffic Safety Action Program, designed to foster a voluntary, cooperative, non-punitive environment for the open reporting of safety concerns. This type of reporting system — which is used throughout industry — will help to create an atmosphere where controllers and managers can identify, report and correct safety issues and emerging risks. ### http://www.oig.dot.gov/StreamFile?fi...imony_9.20.pdf Todd J. ZinserActing Inspector General U.S. Department of Transportation Before the Committee on Transportation and InfrastructureSubcommittee on AviationUnited States House of RepresentativesFor Release on Delivery Expected at2:00 p.m. EDT WednesdaySeptember 20, 2006 CC-2006-074 Observations on FAA’s Oversight of Aviation Safety During the first 11 months of FY 2006, the number of operational errors has decreased—there were 1,242 operational errors compared to 1,358 during the same period in FY 2005. However, the number of operational errors during the 11-month period still exceeds the total number of errors experienced during all of FY 2004. The increase in operational errors is significant, but it is important to recognize that the number of errors reported in prior years may not be an accurate benchmark. This is because, at the majority of FAA facilities, FAA relies on an inaccurate system of self-reporting operational errors. In September 2004, we reported8 that only 20 of FAA’s 524 air traffic control facilities had an automated system that identifies when operational errors occur. At its towers and terminal radar approach control (TRACON) facilities, FAA depends on an unreliable system of self-reporting operational errors. Recent investigations by our office and FAA at two locations found multiple instances of unreported operational errors. Specifically, at the Dallas/Fort Worth TRACON, we investigated claims by a whistleblower that operational errors were being intentionally underreported. We substantiated that operational errors were systematically ignored and traced the cause to local management policy that did not comply with national guidelines. Prior to our investigation, the facility reported just two operational errors during the 6-month period from January 1 to -------------------------------------------- 8 OIG Report Number AV-2004-085, “Audit of Controls Over the Reporting of Operational Errors,” September 20, 2004. -------------------------------------------- 17 June 24, 2004. During our investigation, we identified five unreported operational errors that occurred during May and June alone. After instituting appropriate use of playback tools9 in June 2004, the facility reported 36 operational errors during the next 6 months. Facility managers also took actions to improve operations by training all personnel on proper procedures for reporting and investigating operational errors, redesigning facility-specific air traffic procedures, and conducting refresher training to improve controller performance. ... |
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Dallas-Fort Worth TRACON Management Routinely Misclassified Operational Errors and Deviations as Pilot Errors
"Larry Dighera" wrote in message ... Are these the same ATC personnel with whom we entrust our lives in IMC? No. |
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Dallas-Fort Worth TRACON Management Routinely Misclassified Operational Errors and Deviations as Pilot Errors
"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote:
"Larry Dighera" wrote in message ... Are these the same ATC personnel with whom we entrust our lives in IMC? No. Based on past history of that TRACON, that's a sweeping assertion that is probably wrong. It seems likely that supervisory malfeasance of the nature reported could lead directly to uncorrected operation errors on the part of controllers. Indeed, according to this Reason magazine article in 2005 on "Another TRACON Scandal", http://www.reason.org/atcreform28.shtml the "FAA decertified one controller for committing a previously unreported error...." And in that case fellow controllers of the whistle-blower allegedly were "hitting [her], making threats against her, and even trying to run her off the road." Not exactly behavior indicative of objective professionalism. |
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Dallas-Fort Worth TRACON Management Routinely Misclassified Operational Errors and Deviations as Pilot Errors
"Jim Logajan" wrote in message .. . "Steven P. McNicoll" wrote: "Larry Dighera" wrote in message ... Are these the same ATC personnel with whom we entrust our lives in IMC? No. Based on past history of that TRACON, that's a sweeping assertion that is probably wrong. I don't think so. The question was asked of management, not of the controllers. |
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Dallas-Fort Worth TRACON Management Routinely Misclassified Operational Errors and Deviations as Pilot Errors
"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote:
"Jim Logajan" wrote in message .. . "Steven P. McNicoll" wrote: "Larry Dighera" wrote in message ... Are these the same ATC personnel with whom we entrust our lives in IMC? No. Based on past history of that TRACON, that's a sweeping assertion that is probably wrong. I don't think so. The question was asked of management, not of the controllers. Okay - but I appreciate the change from "no" to "I don't think so." But it appears there are complaints (not mentioned in the story at the start of this thread) against controllers and not just management: "The FAA failed to follow through, however, and Ms. Whiteman and another whistle-blower made new complaints last year of controllers issuing faulty instructions to pilots." Quoted from this report: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...2.28095ea.html |
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Dallas-Fort Worth TRACON Management Routinely Misclassified Operational Errors and Deviations as Pilot Errors
If found guilty, what's it going to take to
get these criminals terminated from any and all government service? We have friends employed by our gummint who joke that "...if we were caught murdering a co-worker, we'd be sent to 'anger counseling'". They know full well that they can't be fired. In short, it would take an act of Congress to terminate the criminals. -- Jay Honeck Iowa City, IA Pathfinder N56993 www.AlexisParkInn.com "Your Aviation Destination" |
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Dallas-Fort Worth TRACON Management Routinely Misclassified Operational Errors and Deviations as Pilot Errors
"Jim Logajan" wrote in message .. . "Steven P. McNicoll" wrote: "Jim Logajan" wrote in message .. . "Steven P. McNicoll" wrote: "Larry Dighera" wrote in message ... Are these the same ATC personnel with whom we entrust our lives in IMC? No. Based on past history of that TRACON, that's a sweeping assertion that is probably wrong. I don't think so. The question was asked of management, not of the controllers. Okay - but I appreciate the change from "no" to "I don't think so." I changed nothing. "No" still applies to Dighera's question, "I don't think so" applies to your statement. |
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Dallas-Fort Worth TRACON Management Routinely MisclassifiedOperational Errors and Deviations as Pilot Errors
On May 1, 2:42*pm, Larry Dighera wrote:
Are these the same ATC personnel with whom we entrust our lives in IMC? *Very tacky. * Dude, do you even fly or do you just spend your day looking for irrelevant information on the internet? -Robert |
#9
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Dallas-Fort Worth TRACON Management Routinely Misclassified Operational Errors and Deviations as Pilot Errors
"Robert M. Gary" wrote:
On May 1, 2:42*pm, Larry Dighera wrote: Are these the same ATC personnel with whom we entrust our lives in IMC? *Very tacky. * Dude, do you even fly or do you just spend your day looking for irrelevant information on the internet? Um - why are claims that deliberate re-classification of ATC errors to pilot error not relevant for discussion on a piloting discussion group? If that's not relevant to this group, what precisely is? Flame wars between Bertie and Maxwell? |
#10
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Dallas-Fort Worth TRACON Management Routinely Misclassified Operational Errors and Deviations as Pilot Errors
On Thu, 1 May 2008 17:08:21 -0700 (PDT), "Robert M. Gary"
wrote in : ... do you just spend your day looking for irrelevant information on the internet? Why do you feel the subject of on-the-job fraud among ATC personnel is irrelevant to an aviation newsgroup? |
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