Sun, Mar 31, 2013
Suit Claims Agency Failed To Exercise Legal Obligation To Assess Risks To Safety
Saying the FAA failed to exercise its legal obligation to assess the risks to safety that might be caused by the shutdown of air traffic control operations, the Spokane, Washington airport board has filed suit to stop the closing of the tower at the city's Felts Field. The suit was filed Monday, March 25 in the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington reports Bloomberg.
Felts Field is a reliever facility for Spokane International Airport. With 52,000 takeoff and landings annually, it fell just under the average of 54,000 operations where the FAA drew a line in the sand when determining its budget cutting tower closures. Some 149 small and midsize airports are slated to lose air-traffic control services by contractors as part of the FAA’s plan to trim $637 million in spending under so-called sequestration.
In a March 22nd letter to FAA Administrator Micheal Huerta the board asked that he delay the closure while the court reviews its petition. However, if Huerta declines Larry Krauter, chief executive officer of the airport board, said “we will ask the court for a temporary restraining order.”
The letter argues that the FAA's own policies require it "to assess the risks associated with significant changes to air traffic procedures” before “any such change is implemented, and which the FAA has entirely failed to apply in this action.”
The safety review is among legal obligations which “are not excused by the sequestration legislation,” according to the letter.
More News
From 2023 (YouTube Version): Legacy of a Titan Robert (Bob) Anderson Hoover was a fighter pilot, test pilot, flight instructor, and air show superstar. More so, Bob Hoover was an i>[...]
Get The Latest in Aviation News NOW on Instagram Are you on Instagram yet? It's been around for a few years, quietly picking up traction mostly thanks to everybody's new obsession >[...]
Aero Linx: B-52H Stratofortress The B-52H Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic spee>[...]
Altimeter Setting The barometric pressure reading used to adjust a pressure altimeter for variations in existing atmospheric pressure or to the standard altimeter setting (29.92).>[...]
"Knowing that we play an active part in bettering people's lives is extremely rewarding. My team and I are very thankful for the opportunity to be here and to help in any way we ca>[...]