Cover-Up Of Controller Mistakes Continues

An investigation by the Department of Transportation determined Federal Aviation Administration officials again misrepresented numerous breaches of safety at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, according to a new report released by the US Office of Special Counsel.

In the second such finding in three years, FAA managers allegedly shifted blame for proximity violations from air traffic controllers at DFW 62 times between November 2005 and July 2007, by deliberately misclassifying incursions as pilot error or non-events, according to Associated Press reports.

Requested last spring by former Special Counsel Scott Bloch, the report details a persistent cover-up of misconduct. 10 corrective measures were also outlined, including reorganizing ATC management at DFW and an overall review of the FAA's air traffic safety management.

In a letter to President Bush, Acting Special Counsel William Reukauf said that increased "scrutiny of FAA and its implementation of the corrective measures proposed to resolve the continued misconduct and mismanagement is critical."

Spokeswoman Laura Brown said the FAA has already complied with all of the inspector general's recommendations not related to personnel matters, which she is prohibited from discussing, the AP said. "I can tell you we take them very seriously, and we're taking appropriate action on those as well," Brown said.

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said airport towers and other traffic control facilities are currently understaffed and many experienced controllers are leaving the FAA, contributing to the rise in safety errors made by controllers.

First reporting in 2004 that FAA officials had covered up safety violations, whistle-blower and controller supervisor Anne Whiteman came forward again last year with new allegations that FAA managers were still under-reporting controller safety violations and misreporting incidents as caused by pilot error.

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