<B>WashingtonWire</B>
By Barbara Cook
<B>ATC Errors mounting</B>
Air traffic control operational errors have increased sharply in the past five years, rising to 1,154 in 2000, from 764 in 1996, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Inspector General, who recommended that the Federal Aviation Administration move swiftly to correct the problem.
The biggest increase in operational errors was reported in the Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center in Leesburg, Va., where errors rose to 102, from 24, during the period. The five centers with high numbers of operational errors, in addition to the Washington center, are Cleveland, New York, Chicago and Indianapolis.
Operational errors occur when a controller does not ensure that FAA separation standards are maintained between airplanes. "FAA must approach reducing operational errors with a sense of urgency," the IG stated. "FAA has been ineffective in reducing operational errors, which have increased by 51 percent" since 1996. An FAA spokesperson said the agency is working to correct the problem in line with the IG's recommendations. Further, FAA in March will complete a system to grade the severity of reported errors, the spokesperson added.
One of the IG's complaints was that FAA cannot conclude the extent of the operational error problem because statistics aren't kept on the relative severity of each incident. The IG also pointed to an ongoing dispute between the National Air Traffic Controllers Association and FAA over just how controllers should be disciplined for operational errors. Further, the IG said FAA's regions should prepare and keep current regional error prevention plans and FAA should review these plans on a national level.<A NAME="2">
<B>Jim Hall Resigning From NTSB</B>
National Transportation Safety Board chairman Jim Hall said he would resign Jan. 18 as a member of the board, ending more than seven years of service as a member and six as chairman. Hall noted that during his tenure as chairman, "The safety board has experienced a period of unprecedented activity, including the two longest and most complex aviation accident investigations in the NTSB's history--the crash of US Air flight 427 in 1994 and the crash of TWA flight 800 in 1996.