NATCA Says It Can Help Make It Work, But Rebuffed By Agency

The FAA experienced some difficulty during a recent test of its NextGen Air Traffic Control system at Salt Lake Center. NATCA, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, says the test was rushed, and that the FAA needs to enlist the help of the controllers union to bring the system online.

According to a NATCA news release, the system held its own during light traffic on the overnight shift, but failed when traffic volume picked up later in the morning. NATCA says its controllers managed to prevent bigger problems, but that the FAA has inadequately trained them on both the primary and backup NextGen computer systems.

Called En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM), the system promises greater flexibility, a better system for controllers and the arrival of a new "brain" for the National Airspace System that will form a cornerstone of the FAA's Next Generation Air Transportation System. But NATCA says the system is buggy, and that the controllers tasked with using it do not have confidence in the system.

When ERAM eventually failed during the test on Saturday morning, the backup system that kicked in caused serious problems of its own. Controllers say they witnessed the loss of information about the aircraft they were handling on their radar scopes, forcing them to ask aircraft, basically, "who are you and where are you going?" NATCA says the effect of this loss of information was felt at every FAA terminal radar facility that handles flights within the larger "umbrella" of Salt Lake Center's airspace, which extends from the Canadian border south to almost the Arizona border, east into central Wyoming and west into central Nevada.

Additionally, the computer problems caused some flight delays. Salt Lake Center had controllers at Salt Lake TRACON (Terminal Radar Approach Control) stop all departures that would have needed to be worked by Salt Lake Center when they reached higher altitudes, incurring about two dozen delays from Salt Lake City International Airport. And each of the five regional en route centers that border Salt Lake Center felt the effect and were given restrictions that forced them to move aircraft off of their filed route of flight. For example, this included flights headed west into both Las Vegas and Los Angeles (LAX), as worked by Denver Center.

NATCA says the problems could have been averted, and still can be before the next test, if the FAA includes NATCA in the process and works with the union to formulate a plan for training and contingencies. They were not specific about how that would be accomplished. The union says that the FAA refuses to work with them on the issue.  "The FAA has been stubbornly unwilling to collaborate with NATCA in this project's development. And now, the FAA is finding out it is unable to successfully test and deploy this critical new computer system without the involvement of NATCA," said NATCA Northwest Mountain Regional Vice President Jim Ullmann. "They have rushed forward to meet artificial deadlines without being fully ready for this challenge. NATCA stands ready, willing and able, as always, to help implement this system safely and effectively. All the FAA has to do is allow that to happen. We demand modernization that works and is safe."

NATCA is calling on the FAA to stop any further testing of ERAM on live traffic until both parties can reach an agreement on how to formally collaborate on this project, and gain the critical involvement and confidence of the controllers responsible for using this system to ensure the safety of the flying public.

FMI: www.natca.org, www.faa.gov