NTSB: Air controller fatigue contributed to 4 mishaps

Source: CNN

Fatigued air traffic controllers contributed to four aviation mishaps in recent years, and may have been a factor in last year's Comair crash that killed 49 people, according to federal accident investigators.

The investigators are calling on the Federal Aviation Administration to revise work schedules and take other actions to prevent controllers from becoming tired on the job.

"Controllers are absolutely more tired now than they have ever been, and it's because they are forced to work overtime. This is an understaffed system, and the FAA is lying when they say it's not," said Doug Church, spokesman for the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.

In a letter to the FAA, Mark Rosenker, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said it's still unclear what role fatigue played in the crash of Comair Flight 5191, but four other incidents "provide clear and compelling evidence" that controllers are sometimes operating while fatigued because of their work schedules and poor use of rest periods.



Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/10/controller.fatigue/index.html

...all start retiring.

Remember that?

Back when "President" Reagan decided it would be a good idea to fire all of the Air Traffic Controllers at the same time? Well, since Federal Law prohibits hiring people over the age of 35 years of age in most cases, most of those 1981 controllers are about the same age, so in a few years...

Tons are retiring this year all over the country. 10 people are leaving at Charlotte this year alone.

My SO is eligible to hit the road in 7 years.

I have the utmost respect for every single Air Traffic Controller
A good friend was the chief of the Tower here in PDX right before the infamous
Reagan ignorant mistake, he then went on to DC to head the 'Flight Data Center'.

They have one of the toughest jobs out there, the FAA and the Government have not
equipped them with the best equipment, and they have not hired needed replacements.

Bravo all Air Traffic Controllers

St. Ronnie did us such a great service back then..... under the heading of "You can pay me now or you can pay me later, but you will pay me". So the cost will be in mistakes and twisted metal.

in the US. the list is usually surprisingly long.

at least it always surprises me as we seldom hear of these events

today there are 16 events. one event had 3 injurys.

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/woalert.php?lang=eng

I have to fly to Philadelphia in a few weeks. I hate to fly. I'm gonna die, I just know it.


*breathes deeply into paper bag

was the failure to purchase and install up-to-date computer systems. I wonder what kind of equipmnet they're using now.