Dallas-Fort Worth TRACON Management Routinely Misclassified Operational Errors and Deviations as Pilot Errors

Peter Clark wrote:

Did I get the following here or somewhere else? Original title Bar
Stool Economics

Me actually please pass it around. It seems to actually turn on a light
bulb for 1 out of every 4 or 5 I've shown it to in person.

Larry Dighera wrote:

As a percentage of your total income how much is derived from
dividends?


You say dividends like they are in some way evil. If you earn dividends
that means you invested in something that was successful and created jobs.

Larry Dighera wrote:

Here's a quote from an unbiased source:

http://www.smartmoney.com/taxmatters...story=20030527
Qualified Dividends Now Taxed at 15% or Less
As you know, dividends have always been taxed as "ordinary
income." That meant you paid your regular tax rate, which could be
as high as 35% (formerly 38.6%).

That was then. Effective for all of 2003 through the end of 2008,
qualified dividends from domestic corporations and qualified
foreign corporations will be taxed at the same low rates as
long-term capital gains. And those rates have been reduced, too
(see below). Bottom line: The maximum rate on qualified dividends
is now only 15%. And if you're in the 10% or 15% rate bracket (see
the table above), your dividends will be taxed at only 5%. (For
2008, the rate will be 0%, but just for that one year.)
...

As they should be because they are an investment that funds the rest of
the economy.


One more thing: The new low rates don't apply to dividends
received in tax-deferred retirement accounts (traditional IRAs,
401(k) accounts, SEP and Keogh accounts, and the like). Dividends
accumulated in these accounts will still be taxed at your regular
rate (up to 35%) when withdrawn as cash distributions.


Up to 35% if you are still earning at the top tax bracket.

On May 1, 11:42*pm, Larry Dighera wrote:
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..._Aviation_Safe...
* * 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. ...

You forgot to blame the affirmative action policy




Bertie

Now, I've accepted your view of the issue. How about you accepting
mine? Or do you believe they are mutually exclusive?

On Sun, 04 May 2008 11:52:32 -0400, Bob Noel
wrote in
:

In article ,
Larry Dighera wrote:

The people who pay taxes see benefit when taxes are cut. This isn't
spin, it's simple math.

While it may be mathematically accurate, it serves to conceal the
truth rather than expose it.

...none so blind as those that refuse to see.

Are you under the impression that our differing views on this subject
are mutually exclusive?

In article ,
Larry Dighera wrote:

The people who pay taxes see benefit when taxes are cut. This isn't
spin, it's simple math.

While it may be mathematically accurate, it serves to conceal the
truth rather than expose it.

...none so blind as those that refuse to see.

Are you under the impression that our differing views on this subject
are mutually exclusive?

If we confine "this subject" to just the simple math vs spin, then it, yeah,
it would appear that our views don't have much overlap.

If "this subject" is more then math vs spin, then we might have more agreement.

--
Bob Noel
(goodness, please trim replies!!!)