Agency Won't Fine City Or Contractors
Federal Aviation Administration inspectors have found numerous
violations by the Chicago Department of Aviation, the O'Hare
Modernization Program and several contractors working on an
expansion of O'Hare International Airport.
FAA documents obtained by the Chicago Tribune under the Freedom
of Information Act revealed many potentially hazardous errors that
occurred between June and October 2006 -- including construction
equipment blocking runway safety areas and severed power cables
that knocked out navigation aids.
In one incident, work crews either cut or crushed a utility line
that powered the wind shear warning system between Runways 9 Left
and 9 Right, leaving it on back-up batteries. When FAA technicians
arrived to fix the problem, they found lights intended to warn
pilots of a 150-foot obstruction were also inoperable.
Other violations ranged from construction crews failing to
ensure that mud and dirt were promptly removed from aircraft
taxiways to incidents where construction equipment and material
were stored in safety zones at the ends of runways, according to
the Tribune.
"What occurred is unacceptable and it is not going to be
tolerated," said Rosemarie Andolino, executive director of O'Hare's
$15 billion expansion project.
Ground radar and runway lighting systems were compromised when
cables were destroyed by construction equipment, the FAA said.
Most worrisome is the fact these were not isolated incidents.
O'Hare contractors accidentally cut power cables, resulting in
equipment failures for navigation, weather, communications and
safety-related systems twice on June 19 -- and again on June 23,
July 10... and October 4, 13 and 27, 2006, according to FAA
records.
The FAA, which fined neither the city nor its contractors, said
there was no immediate threat to passenger safety in any of the
incidents. After a June 23, 2006, construction inspection, the FAA
did issue a stern letter of warning to Chicago Aviation
Commissioner Nuria Fernandez, however.
The letter listed 17 violations and said the city Aviation
Department "does not have sufficient and qualified personnel" to
satisfy FAA requirements, and the city "is not equipping personnel
with sufficient resources" to comply with all regulations.
The mistakes have prompted an increase in inspections and daily
communication between local and federal authorities in an attempt
to safeguard against future problems as work intensifies on the
massive project.
"The feeling is that the city is definitely working to correct
the situation," said FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory. "But we
are watching very closely to maintain safety on the airfield."
Fernandez notes the violations occurred during the first year of
major construction on the runway expansion project.
"This is the largest airport construction project in the world,
also happening at the world's second-busiest airport. Things are
prone to happen, but I was very confident we could deal with them,
and we did," Fernandez said.
But the FAA documents show that city officials were sometimes
slow to address problems and participate in safety meetings called
by the FAA.
A memo dated July 19 from Tricia Halpin, an FAA airports
certification safety inspector, to O'Hare Chief Operating Officer
David Ochal complained no one from O'Hare's operations staff
attended a specific meeting to address safety issues during the
various stages of construction during the project.
"Several issues that have operational impact [were] discussed,
however, Operations was not present," Halpin wrote. "We believe it
is critical that Operations attends these meetings."
This was actually the second reprimand from Halpin to Aviation
Department operations staff.
"I am sure you understand that a project of this magnitude
requires commitment, cooperation and communication between all
parties," Halpin wrote.