Air Controllers Warn Of Safety Risks

Tell Congress That Poor Maintenance Of Their Aging Work Places Could Jeopardize Fliers

(AP)  Air traffic controllers told Congress on Tuesday that poor maintenance of their aging work places has hampered and harmed them and could endanger the flying public.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which employs the controllers, has not given priority to maintaining and preserving air traffic control facilities, some of which are 40 years old, Patrick Forrey, president of the controllers' union, said.

"The resulting environmental conditions have jeopardized the safety of workers as well as the effectiveness of the equipment they use, both of which can negatively impact the safety of the air traffic system," Forrey testified before the House aviation subcommittee.

"We recognize that we have a backlog of maintenance and repair," said Bruce Johnson, FAA's vice president of terminal services. "And we are taking steps to reduce that backlog."

But some FAA facilities "have aged to the point where the responsible thing to do is replace them," Johnson said, because they "have so many issues that to repair and remediate them indefinitely would be financially unsound."

He said this was particularly true because the agency is moving to replace its land-based radar control system with a satellite-based system, called NextGen. The new control system will allow planes to fly closer together, opening room for more planes in the nation's currently saturated air space.

"That's nonsense," said Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., chairman of the full House Transportation Committee. "The FAA can't hide behind modernization that's going to take years. They need to fix these facilities now."

Subcommittee chairman, Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Ill., complained that for three years running Congress had authorized $3 billion for FAA facilities and equipment but the Bush administration had only requested $2.5 billion.

Johnson responded that "$2.5 billion is adequate for the amount of work we can get done."

The subcommittee's ranking Republican, Rep. Thomas Petri, R-Wisc., said, "The FAA's maintenance backlog is not declining. It is growing."

Petri said this was particularly crucial for the future of the $15 billion NextGen system, because "we cannot put our brand new systems into buildings not fit to house them."

But Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., said, "It does not make sense for FAA to continue to maintain old, obsolete facilities." He argued that some Democrats and union members were trying to prevent consolidation of facilities that would close outmoded ones.

Forrey and several Democrats on the subcommittee responded that they merely wanted FAA to consult more with its workers in planning the new system.

Johnson said that repairs and maintenance affecting safety "as always are our first priority."

Water leaks, obscured sight lines, toxic fumes, mold, asbestos, pest infestations and poor heating and cooling were reported in a survey by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association of its field representatives at the nation's 314 airport towers and traffic and radar control centers. Responses were obtained from 220 sites.

There have been 75 reported water leaks, including six with frequent leaks directly over controllers or equipment. At the Atlanta Center "controllers have had to hold an umbrella over the radar scope in order to see the planes and hope they do not get electrocuted while working," Forrey said.

More than 100 facilities reported extreme temperature variations because of poor heating or cooling. Because of recurrent condensation on the San Juan tower windows "controllers are sometimes 'blind,' without the ability to scan the runways or taxiways."

Operations have been interrupted and some controllers taken ill because noxious fumes entered their work place, including poisonous carbon monoxide at the New York Terminal Radar Approach Control in April and welding fumes at the Dulles airport tower outside Washington, D.C., in May.

Of the 220 facilities reporting, 62 rated their conditions poor. Another 18 called theirs "outright dangerous" and said they "were concerned with their personal well being as well as the facility's ability to handle the daily aircraft operations."

Earlier this year, the FAA selected teams led by Lockheed Martin Corp., ITT Corp. and Raytheon Co. to compete for a stake in the NextGen contract. The first portion of the deal, worth roughly $2 billion, is expected to be awarded in August.

[missut2]

Sounds like the same complaints the air traffic controllers union (PATCO) had when Reagan fired them in 1981. Same do-nothing government agency, FAA...........

[nothappyatall]

"There have been 75 reported water leaks, including six with frequent leaks directly over controllers or equipment. At the Atlanta Center "controllers have had to hold an umbrella over the radar scope in order to see the planes and hope they do not get electrocuted while working," Forrey said. "

ALL roofs will leak if they are not maintained, get the roof fixed RIGHT, not by a gang of Mexicans dumping tar patches and paper on it.

[erasmus6]

I have also heard that air traffic controllers are so over worked that they end up making mistakes on the job.

[jw218389]

There is PLENTY of money to fund the needed updates to the ATC system.

EVERY user - even small planes and corporate jets pay a horrendus amount of taxes on each gallon of aviation gas/kerosene purchased. The tax is approximately $38.00 for every 100 gallons purchased! The idea of paying extra on top of that is a FREE RIDE FOR THE AIRLINES.

THE AIRLINES ARE WHY ATC EXISTS...

Imagine, if the the DOT tried to charge us everytime we drove our car down I-95 IN ADDITION to the fuel taxes we already paid!!! There would be a public outrage.

THERE IS PLENTY OF MONEY!!

[jebediah76]

Don't get scared...this is mostly nonsense.

While there are facilities that need renovation, there is plenty of money to do it. Fact is the Bush Administration and the FAA are pushing a funding scheme for the FAA that is essentially a huge giveback to the airlines who utilize the system.

The funding scheme will actually generate less revenue for the FAA (And thus the for the renovation of control facilities) in favor of giving the airlines huge breaks.

this is a cover to scare people into passing a terrible funding scheme because their safety depends upon it when it does not.

[bombadil4]

We have complacently allowed our infrastructure to deteriorate over the years. In some cases the results, while tragic for a few (bridge collapses) or merely annoying for many (highway gridlock, don't seem that alarming. Let the air controller situation go to pot much longer (not to mention an aging fleet) and the results will be hundreds of deaths and perhaps the demise of an already limping airline industry.