Air Traffic Control Errors Double in Three Years

Business Week: U.S. air-traffic safety errors involving flights near airports more than doubled over the past three years, the Government Accountability Office said.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which oversees air- traffic and regulates airports, needs to better track safety lapses at airports, from jets that veer off runways to controllers who allow aircraft to get too close together, the GAO said today in a report examining data from fiscal 2008 to 2011.

The rates of safety hazards on or near airports continue to rise, the GAO said, while crediting the FAA with taking steps to reduce hazards.

Air-traffic error rates at facilities directing traffic within 40 miles of large airports increased to 22.6 per million flights from 8.5 over the period studied, the GAO said. The rate of similar errors at airport towers increased by 53 percent, it said.

These errors occur when controllers direct aircraft to fly too close to each other.

Most of the increases resulted from the FAA’s efforts to encourage employees to report errors, rather than an increase in the number of incidents taking place, the aviation agency said in a statement.

“More information will help us find problems and take action before an accident happens, which will help us build an even safer aviation system,” the statement said.

Following a series of incidents in which controller errors were covered up, the FAA created a non-punitive reporting system to encourage employees to come forward and stopped paying managers for keeping errors down.

’Incentive’ to Hide
“Everybody had an incentive to not report before,” Steve Hansen, safety chairman at the National Air Traffic Controllers Association union, said in an interview.

The FAA’s efforts “have likely contributed to the increased number of incidents reported,” the GAO report said.

Some of the higher numbers may have reflected actual increases in incidents, the GAO said. Controller errors at FAA facilities with systems that automatically record mistakes were 38 percent higher in fiscal 2010 than the previous year, the GAO said.

These automated systems are located at FAA facilities overseeing high-altitude traffic.

A one-time misunderstanding of rules led to about 150 reported errors in Southern California, the GAO said. That represented about one-third of all errors in the U.S. from January through March of 2010, it said.

Runway Collision Risks
The FAA needs to do a better job of tracking incidents in which aircraft roll off runways, the report said.

Near-collisions on runways rose from 11.4 per million flights in 2004 to 17.8 in 2010. The vast majority of those cases were minor, the GAO said.

The most severe incidents, those that nearly caused a collision, fell to 6 in 2010 from 53 in 2001, GAO said.

FAA's New Air Traffic Control System Hits Turbulence

Information Week: The Federal Aviation Administration continues to struggle with budgets, deadlines, and management of its multi-billion dollar upgrades to the nation's air traffic control systems, government officials and industry executives told Congress on Wednesday.

The long-term, multi-stage NextGen effort, which has been underway for several years and isn't slated to be complete until approximately 2025, aims to improve American aviation by upgrading numerous Cold War-era flight systems. But the effort has long suffered problems.

Within the last couple of years, the FAA has instituted a number of changes to improve NextGen's management, including working closely with an advisory group made up of users and other constituents, changing the NextGen program so that it directly reports to the FAA's deputy administrator, and centralized program management for the effort.

However, ongoing problems continue to threaten the program's costs and timeline and have kept private industry in the dark about the program's benefits and schedule, the officials and executives told the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

As a result, according to Lee Moak, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, a group that represents the interests of 53,000 pilots, and Ed Bolen, president and CEO of the National Business Aviation Association, manufacturers are building and delivering future-proofed planes and carriers are putting new processes in place but can't take advantage of all their capabilities because of delays in or improper management of NextGen.

For example, numerous carriers are ready to adopt procedures that they co-developed with the FAA to provide "smooth, fuel efficient, low emission descents that reduce [the need for] communications and enhance safety during good weather conditions" and others that help out in poor weather conditions, Bolen said. But the FAA doesn't even have plans or approval processes to permit planes to follow these procedures even as jet fuel costs continue to rise.

In another case, the En Route Automatic Modernization (ERAM) system, a computer system to provide communications and generate display data for air traffic controllers, is about 5 years behind schedule and as much as $500 million over budget, according to a study by Mitre Corp.

According to FAA Inspector General Calvin Scovel, early testing of ERAM revealed problems with safety management, and controllers had to rely on cumbersome workarounds to overcome those issues. That problem snowballed. "ERAM's problems are the direct result of poor program management," Scovel said. "There was over-optimism that ERAM could be deployed in a year, and FAA didn't begin to mitigate some risks until three years after problems began surfacing. This was a program that was hobbled out of the gate." Even with all those problems, and despite the significant program risks, the FAA still hasn't conducted an assessment of ERAM's dependencies or impacts on other program costs.

At a higher level, Scovel noted, the FAA has yet to develop an integrated master schedule to help manage NextGen, meaning that "programs are left with no clear end state."

The officials and executives pointed to a number of causes for the delays and cost overruns, including unstable requirements, poor program and contract management, the inability of the FAA to bring all constituents into the decision-making process, training, and a lack of communication.

Now, added to that list might be the fiscal environment. Amidst all the turbulence, Congress is considering slashing spending at the Federal Aviation Administration between 5% and 10%, which could further delay implementation of some pieces of NextGen.

"There's no question that reduced funding will cause delays, and that the delays will cost us more in the end in terms of lost benefits as well as increased costs of deployment," FAA deputy administrator Michael Huerta told legislators, adding that Congress should fund the FAA to the levels suggested by President Obama. "In the end, to be able to meet the timeline set out, the President's funding level is really what we need to get us there."

The government has already spent nearly $3 billion on NextGen, and the effort will likely cost into the tens of billions of dollars. By 2018, the FAA estimates that, thanks to NextGen, airlines will see a 35% improvement in delays and save more than a billion gallons of fuel. However, with continued problems and looming budget cuts, those numbers may be hard to reach.

Air Traffic Controller Tests Positive for Alcohol

KMGH Denver: A Colorado air traffic controller is under federal investigation, suspected of being intoxicated while controlling live air traffic, the CALL7 Investigators have confirmed. On July 5, Federal Aviation Administration officials tested a veteran air traffic controller for alcohol, sources told CALL7 Investigator John Ferrugia. It was a random test.

On Tuesday, Ferrugia spoke to the controller in question, by phone. Ferrugia said the controller was clearly concerned and further confirmed that he is under investigation by the FAA. The controller would not comment further about the circumstances, citing the ongoing investigation.

Sources told Ferrugia, the controller was tested six and a half hours into his eight-hour shift and his blood alcohol content was twice the legal limit; however, it is not known which "limit" as the accepted level for air traffic controllers is much lower than for operating a motor vehicle, which is 0.08%.

Air traffic controllers can be removed from work with any test above .02% and according to federal regulations, "All employees who are in alcohol TDPs (Testing Designated Positions) are prohibited from reporting for duty or remaining on duty while having an alcohol concentration of 0.04 or greater on a confirmation test or off-duty concentrations that result in an arrest."

A "Testing Designated Position" is described as "a position with critical safety or security-sensitive responsibilities." The veteran controller was intoxicated while talking to pilots in the air, sources said.

He was immediately relieved of his duty.

"The controller in question is not working air traffic. We are investigating the incident," said Mike Fergus, a spokesman for the FAA. The agency could not confirm the controller's blood alcohol concentration.

The CALL7 Investigators have learned the controller under investigation was, in the past, a representative of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the union representing air traffic controllers. He has worked as an air traffic controller for more than 25 years, sources said.

It is not known if he was drinking while at work or had shown up to work intoxicated.

The veteran controller works at the Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center in Longmont, also known as Denver Center. According to the FAA, Denver Center controls 285,000 square miles of airspace over portions of nine states. It directs airplane travel between airports but not in the immediate vicinity of airports, so it does not land planes at Denver International Airport.

A family member confirms the air traffic controller has entered alcohol rehabilitation and has been told by the FAA that he can be reinstated if he completes all the required rehabilitation, per federal guidelines. It is unclear if he would ever control live air traffic again. Since no aircraft incidents were involved, the controller has not been charged with a federal crime.

Paul Rinaldi, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, called the incident "deeply troubling."

"We do not condone what is now being investigated to have taken place at Denver Center," Rinaldi said in a statement. "We are proud of our safety record both there and at every facility and will continue to work to keep our airspace system the world's safest."

The FAA recently announced new steps to help prevent controllers from falling asleep on the job. Since April, the FAA has disclosed seven instances of controllers sleeping while on duty. The new policy allows controllers to use sick or annual leave time if they are too tired to work. They will also be allowed to listen to the radio and read to help stay alert during overnight shifts when traffic is light.

The new policy doesn't allow controllers to nap while on break or to schedule naps during overnight shifts, even though sleep scientists say that's the most effective way to refresh tired workers.

Currently, controllers caught napping, even when on break, can be fired.

FAA Reworking Air Controller Work Schedules

Government Executive: The Federal Aviation Administration will work with the union representing the nation's air traffic controllers to develop new sleep schedules that incorporate fatigue science, it was announced Friday.

The agreement comes after a number of reports this spring of controllers falling asleep during overnight shifts, but the new guidelines were in the works before then. They were created by a working group established under a 2009 collective bargaining agreement between the FAA and the union, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA).

"We are pleased that the efforts of the joint NATCA-FAA fatigue workgroup that produced these science-based recommendations have resulted in an agreement and their implementation into the schedules and work environments of our nation's dedicated and highly professional air traffic controller workforce," NATCA President Paul Rinaldi said in a statement.

Currently, controllers receive a minimum of nine hours of rest between shifts. Many controllers opt to cram as many shifts as possible into the shortest time period possible in order to have long weekends.

In addition to the new sleep schedule principles, which are to be created no later than September 1, 2012, controllers will also be allowed to listen to the radio and read "appropriate" written materials, according to an FAA press release.

Under the agreement, the FAA will develop a way to allow controllers to regain their medical certification if diagnosed with sleep apnea if treatment is completed. Currently, controllers are sidelined if they receive a sleep apnea diagnosis.

A Fatigue Risk Management System for air traffic control operations will be developed by January 2012 that will collect and analyze data associated with work schedules. This is aimed to ensure that the schedules are not at risk for increasing controller fatigue.

"Air traffic controllers have the responsibility to report rested and ready to work so they can safely perform their operational duties," said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt in a statement. "But we also need to make sure we have the right policies in place to reduce the possibility of fatigue in the workplace."

Key Part of New Air Traffic Control System in Trouble

CBS Money Watch: An information-sharing program essential to government plans for a new national air traffic control system is about $105 million over budget and has been delayed two years, a government watchdog said Thursday.

The first phase of the Federal Aviation Administration program known as System-Wide Information Management, or SWIM, was supposed to be complete by 2013, but has now been pushed back to 2015, according to a report by the Transportation Department's Office of Inspector General.

The FAA is in the midst of switching from an air traffic system based on World War II-era radar technology to one that uses GPS. The transition that is expected to take more than a decade to complete and cost government as much as $22 billion. The cost to the airline industry to equip their planes to use the new system is likely to be nearly as much.

Key to that transition is a program to share information, including which airports are experiencing delays, which runways are closed, weather reports, pilot observations, flight plans and security restrictions on where planes can fly. The idea is to create a one-stop place for FAA employees, the military, other government agencies, airlines and the international aviation community to get real-time information.

In the long-term, the new air traffic program is expected to save FAA and other users money through greater efficiency.

However, the program hasn't been well managed, the report said. The FAA office that runs SWIM doesn't have authority to set standards and deadlines for the seven other programs that SWIM depends on for information, it said.

One of those seven programs — a computer system that enables air traffic controllers to direct planes flying at high altitudes and convey information about flight plans — has run into technical problems that have also caused delays and cost overruns.

"The FAA must take steps now to establish clear accountability and authority for SWIM's implementation. Otherwise, the program will be left without an overall blueprint or achievable end state," the report said.

FAA officials, in comments included in the report, agreed with the inspector general's findings. They said they had already begun working on the report's recommendations. FAA Deputy Administrator Michael Huerta has been placed in charge of resolving SWIM's problems. The office responsible for SWIM has also been given some authority it previously lacked.

The nation's air traffic system handled nearly 800 million airline passenger trips last year, but more than 1 billion trips a year are forecast in the next decade. The FAA's plans to handle that growth depend on replacing the current radar-based system so that planes can fly more direct routes and closer together, as well as land and takeoff more frequently. Officials say that will save time and money, as well as reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Penalties Increase for Flashing Lasers at Planes

USA Today: The federal government is increasing the penalties for people caught shining laser beams at commercial planes in response to a steep increase in the number of incidents.

The Federal Aviation Administration will consider someone who hits a plane with a laser to be "interfering" with a flight crew, the same statute used to protect pilots and flight attendants from hijackers, the agency said it will announce today.

The agency has no authority to prosecute violators criminally, but it can charge them under civil statutes and assess fines up to $11,000. Last year, the FAA received 2,836 reports that planes were hit with lasers, nearly double the total in 2009 and 10 times as many as 2005.

"Our top priority is protecting the safety of the traveling public," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a prepared statement. "We will not hesitate to take tough action against anyone who threatens the safety of our passengers, pilots and air transportation system." Pointing a laser at an aircraft is illegal in some states and legislation pending in Congress would make it a federal crime, but the FAA action makes it easier to penalize violators.

"Shining a laser into the cockpit of an aircraft is not a joke. These lasers can temporarily blind a pilot and make it impossible to safely land the aircraft, jeopardizing the safety of the passengers and people on the ground," FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said. Green-colored laser pointers can cause a distracting flash of light in the cockpit at up to 2 miles away, according to FAA studies. At closer ranges, they can create short-lived blindness as the eye adjusts to the flash.

Laser pointers are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and have limited power. Much stronger lasers that can severely damage the eye are widely available for sale even though there is little use for them outside scientific research, according to the Laser Institute of America.

Incidents continue to pile up, according to federal and local officials. A joint helicopter team serving Southern California cities Burbank and Glendale has logged four cases in the past month, two of which resulted in arrests, said police Sgt. Steve Robertson. "It just keeps happening," Robertson said. "Unfortunately, it's just a matter of time before someone crashes as a result of it. We've been fortunate up to now."

Federal and local law enforcement agencies have had some success by forming laser working groups to improve cooperation. A team in Sacramento has arrested 22 people, 19 of whom were convicted, in the past two years, according to Department of Homeland Security data.

This year, Phoenix and the Dallas-Fort Worth areas lead the nation with 45 incidents each.

FAA Recommends Safety Seats for Children Under 2

ABC News: The Federal Aviation Administration recommended today that children weighing 40 pounds or less sit in FAA-approved child safety-seats when flying. "The safest place for a child on an airplane is in one of these seats, and not in the parent's lap," said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt at a Washington, D.C., press conference. The Association of Flight Attendants also joined in the recommendation.

In addition to the air travel safety implications, the FAA flight safety suggestion also means added cost for families with children under two wishing to follow the recommendation. Current rules allow children under the age of two to fly for free if they sit on the lap of an adult passenger.

While the FAA says it is safest for children under the age of two to sit in their own seats, the administration is not making this a requirement because it argues that the extra cost may push families to drive to their destinations instead of flying. The FAA maintains that a child is safer on a plane, even if sitting on a lap, than in a car.

Dreamliner Engine Receives Key FAA Approval

Seattle Post Intelligencer: The engines for the first Boeing 787s to be delivered are now certified for extended flights far from airports, engine maker Rolls-Royce announced Monday.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration granted ETOPS certification for jets with two Trent 1000 engines to fly 330 minutes from the nearest airport, allowing long-range ocean and polar routes. This marks an important milestone toward delivery of the first 787 to launch customer All Nippon Airways, scheduled for the third quarter, although Boeing must still get its own ETOPS certification for hte 787.

“We have produced the quietest and lightest engine for the aircraft, with the lowest fuel burn over the lifetime of an engine, contributing to the 787’s target of delivering 20 per cent less CO2 than previous generation aircraft,” Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 Program Director Simon Carlisle said in a news release. “We now look forward to supporting Boeing’s own ETOPS program and to powering the 787 Dreamliner’s entry into service with All Nippon Airways.”

Rolls-Royce noted that it has delivered the Trent 1000 engines for the first 787 set to be delivered. Boeing also offers GEnx engines on the 787. Japan Airlines is the launch customer for the GEnx 787.

FAA Chief Orders Management Shakeup

Washington Post: Federal Aviation Administration chief Randy Babbitt shuffled the leadership of the air traffic control system Friday, moving to revitalize a 15,475-member workforce that has been shaken by reports of controllers sleeping on the job and near-collisions in mid-air. Babbitt also named an independent panel to review the training and qualifications of new controllers.

The changes come two weeks after Babbitt forced the resignation of Hank Krakowski, head of the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization, and days after he vowed to make a top-to-bottom review and overhaul of operations.

“The FAA’s focus is safety,” Babbitt said. “These changes ensure that we have the right people in the right places to help us carry out our mission.” The agency’s problems come at a time when air travel appears safer than ever. There hasn’t been a major crash in almost a decade, and there have been just two fatal commuter plane crashes in the past five years.

That impressive record has been sustained at the same time that controllers — whose primary safety mission is to keep planes from colliding — saw their count of recorded errors increase by 51 percent last year. Most of those errors posed little risk, but in at least a dozen cases passenger planes narrowly missed colliding in mid-air. Trish Gilbert, executive vice president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said part of the problem is that there is massive turnover in the workforce.

“With any occupation, there are those that don’t do the job or act in a away that is appropriate,” Gilbert said in a discussion on The Washington Post’s Web site. “From 2006 to 2009, we lost one third of the workforce due to retirement when their pay was frozen. The FAA then rehired more than 7,000 new trainees, with many washing out of the program.”

She said that a third of the workforce has less than five years’ experience and that many of them are still doing on-the-job training. “We believe that the FAA has just started to take the right steps in better screening and training of the ATC candidates,” she said.

In the most recent personnel moves, Babbitt gave three FAA veterans new managerial responsibilities: Walt Cochran was given oversight for all airport towers and radar facilities; Chris Metts was put in charge of centers that direct planes when they reach cruising altitude; and Glen Martin was named manager of the Cleveland center that directs cruising-altitude planes.

FAA Issues New Passenger Protection Rules

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Air Traffic Controller Suspended for Watching Movie

Independent Online: Another air traffic controller has been suspended, this time for watching a movie when he was supposed to be monitoring aircraft, the embattled Federal Aviation Administration said on Monday.

While on duty, the controller was watching the 2007 crime thriller “Cleaner”, starring Samuel L Jackson on a DVD player early on Sunday morning at a regional radar centre in Cleveland that handles high altitude air traffic, FAA said in a statement.

The controller's microphone was inadvertently activated, briefly transmitting the movie's soundtrack to all the planes in the airspace that the controller was supposed to be monitoring, the agency said.

The controller's microphone became stuck in the transmit position, preventing him from hearing incoming radio calls or issuing instructions to planes for more than three minutes, FAA said. A military pilot contacted the FAA about the incident.

The FAA has suspended eight controllers and supervisors since late March for allegedly losing contact with aircraft while on duty. In five of the suspension cases the controllers allegedly fell asleep. In another case, the FAA is investigating why two controllers in Lubbock, Texas, were unresponsive to radio calls.

The incidents have shaken FAA officials, made air traffic controllers the butt of TV jokes and raised public jitters about the safety of air travel.

FAA Issues New Rules for Air Controllers

AirWise: The US Federal Aviation Administration on Sunday issued new work rules aimed at preventing air traffic controllers from falling asleep on the job during overnight hours.

Six separate incidents have alarmed regulators and safety advocates in recent weeks, including a lone controller at Washington's Reagan National Airport who fell asleep on March 23 with two jets en route.

The new rules give controllers an extra hour of rest time between shifts and require FAA managers to work more early-morning and late-night hours.

The changes, which the FAA said would be fully in force by the end of this week, do not reduce tower operations or alter airline flight schedules. "I don't know when I've ever been madder," US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told "Fox News Sunday".

"On my watch, controllers will not be paid to take naps. They are going to be paid for the job they are trained to do, which is to guide planes safely."

The scandal prompted the resignation last week of the FAA official responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the 15,000 air traffic controllers at more than 400 airports. The biggest airports, including in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, have more than one controller on duty at all times. But some of those have not been immune to problems, including Miami, where one of 12 controllers on duty one night was found sleeping.

The new FAA rules give air traffic controllers at least nine hours of rest between shifts, instead of the current eight hours. "Research shows us that giving people the chance for even an additional one hour of rest during critical periods in a schedule can improve work performance and reduce the potential for fatigue," FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said in a statement.

The rules prevent controllers from swapping midnight shifts unless the updated schedule includes an adequate period of rest. Controllers also will no longer be able to take an unscheduled midnight shift after a day off.

Babbitt and Paul Rinaldi, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association union, were scheduled to follow up the rules' release this week with visits to six airports beginning in Atlanta on Monday. Senior FAA and union officials were scheduled to visit other airports over the next few weeks.

As part of the new effort to keep controllers awake, the FAA said it would also commission an independent review of the training curriculum and qualifications required of controllers. The union was expected to expand its focus on peer-to-peer education for controllers.

Another Air Traffic Controller Suspended

Market Watch: U.S.air-traffic controllers will have revised schedules as of early next week in an effort to stem on-the-job fatigue, federal aviation authorities said on Saturday.

The Federal Aviation Administration is banning practices found likely to lead to controllers showing up for shifts in a weary state, FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said Saturday in a statement.

The FAA also said it had suspended a controller early Saturday morning for falling asleep on the job during the midnight shift at the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center.

The incident is the latest in a string of at least eight such controller lapses acknowledged by the FAA this year, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Reported to management by a colleague, the unidentified controller did not miss any calls from pilots and there was no impact on operations, according to an initial review of air traffic tapes, the FAA said.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on Wednesday said the FAA would add controllers to midnight shift previously staffed by one person at airport towers and facilities around the country.

FAA Traffic Control Chief Hank Krakowski Resigns

Statement from FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt :

Over the last few weeks we have seen examples of unprofessional conduct on the part of a few individuals that have rightly caused the traveling public to question our ability to ensure their safety. This conduct must stop immediately. I am committed to maintaining the highest level of public confidence and that begins with strong leadership.

This morning I met with the head of our Air Traffic Organization, the part of the Federal Aviation Administration charged with operating our air traffic control system. Hank Krakowski has submitted his resignation and I have accepted it. Hank is a dedicated aviation professional and I thank him for his service. Starting today, I have asked David Grizzle, FAA's chief counsel, to assume the role of acting ATO chief operating officer while we conduct a nationwide search to permanently fill the position.

We are conducting a top to bottom review of the way we operate our air traffic control system. We are all responsible and accountable for safety – from senior FAA leadership to the controller in the tower. Employees at the FAA work diligently every day to run the safest air transportation system in the world. But I will continue to make whatever changes are necessary to ensure we concentrate on keeping the traveling public safe.

ANOTHER Air Traffic Controller Caught Sleeping

For the third time in less than two months an air traffic controller was caught sleeping on the job, this time at Reno-Tahoe International Airport. A plane carrying a critically ill patient was unable to reach the Reno tower during it's approach, but the pilot was in communication with the Northern California Terminal Radar Approach Control and was able to land safely without assistance from the tower.

The controller is believed to have nodded off and was out of communication for about 16 minutes. In response to the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Transportation announced that an additional air traffic controller will be immediately added on the midnight shift at 27 control towers that currently have only one person working overnights.

In February, a controller in Knoxville, Tenn., deliberately went to sleep on the job during a midnight shift. Last month a controller at Washington, D.C.'s Reagan National Airport fell asleep while two commercial airliners were forced to land on their own. The FAA says there have been additional incidents.

"I am totally outraged by these incidents. This is absolutely unacceptable," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "The American public trusts us to run a safe system. Safety is our number one priority and I am committed to working 24/7 until these problems are corrected."

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FAA Moves to Fire Knoxville Air Traffic Controller

KnoxNews: An air traffic control employee at McGhee Tyson Airport is facing dismissal for sleeping on the job, the Federal Aviation Administration disclosed Wednesday, prompting another call by the controllers union to increase staffing levels at airports across the country.

FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt revealed the McGhee Tyson incident Wednesday during a congressional hearing.

Afterward, the FAA said the controller, whom it did not identify, was caught sleeping while on duty in the radar room of McGhee Tyson's control tower Feb. 19, leaving another controller to handle radar and traffic control duties and assist seven aircraft in a five-hour period. All the aircraft landed safely.

McGhee Tyson is considered an "up-down facility," meaning the airport control tower and the radar room at the Terminal Radar Approach Control are on separate floors. Each is staffed by one controller during midnight shifts.

Because the radar controller was "intentionally" unresponsive, the air traffic controller had to work the seven aircraft alone, according to the FAA.

After the FAA announced disciplinary action being taken against the Knoxville controller, and a similar incident last month at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., the National Air Traffic Controllers Association on Wednesday again urged the FAA to reconsider staffing levels for control towers. NATCA President Paul Rinaldi is calling for an end to air traffic control shifts operated by one person.

Doug Church, NATCA spokesman, wants the FAA review to include a closer look at up-down airports like McGhee Tyson. He said that even with more than one controller on duty, the physical separation could mean more staffing still is needed.

McGhee Tyson and other medium-sized airports usually assign one person to each function during late-night shifts, and they generally work in separate parts of the tower, Church said.

"The midnight shift remains one of our most important concerns," he said. "Overall, the traffic is not as busy as during the day, but you have to make sure you have enough people to operate safely and make sure fatigue issues are addressed."

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FAA Suspends Second Air Controller

CFNews13: Federal aviation officials have suspended a Florida air traffic controller following an incident in which two planes came too close together.

The suspension is the second in a week involving an air traffic controller. An air traffic supervisor working as a controller at Reagan National airport was suspended for falling asleep on duty while two planes landed without assistance.

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement Tuesday that a controller at a regional radar facility in central Florida asked for help from the pilots of a Southwest Airlines flight in determining the status of a private plane that had been out of radio contact for an hour.

As a result of the request, the planes came too close together - a violation of FAA regulations.