Six Month Total In The Washington, D.C. Area Has Already Surpassed 2009

Reports of near collisions of aircraft in congested airspace are increasing, according to statistics from the NTSB, and the bump seems to correspond with an increase in the number of less-experienced air traffic controllers training to replace retirees.

Then-President Ronald Reagan fired nearly all of the nation's air traffic controllers in 1981 when PATCO, the controllers union at the time, went on strike. The strike was illegal under federal law, which was the reason given by Reagan for his actions. But now, nearly 30 years later, many of the controllers hired at that time are approaching retirement, and the FAA is accelerating training programs in an effort to maintain a full staff. Controllers are required to retire at age 56, or after 25 years of service, which ever comes sooner.

In 2009, there were 18 incidents where airplanes were allowed to get closer than separation minimums in the Washington, D.C. area, and the Washington Post reports that the number of near-collisions in 2010 has already surpassed that number. While the number of incidents nationally in 2009 showed a substantial drop over 2008, it was significantly higher than in pre-recession 2007, when there were nearly 10 million more flights in the NAS.

There have already been nearly a dozen near-collisions reported nationally since the NTSB instituted mandatory reporting of such incidents in March.

FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt says the new contract with NATCA will make it more attractive for more experienced controllers currently at lower-stress airports to move up to higher-traffic areas. And, he says, "I am very comfortable that we run an incredibly safe system."

FMI: www.faa.gov