Shorting out on Controllers

The Dept of Transport Inspector General agrees with the FAA that it has made "moderate progress" in preparing for a wave of controller retirements that has begun at its 300 facilities. However the DoTIG also says the agency needs to produce evidence that it knows how to properly staff every airport and radar facility, "a foremost necessity in effectively placing newly hired controllers where they're needed most," the report says. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the controllers' union, has said the aviation system is badly understaffed, based on numbers it had previously negotiated with the FAA.

Rep. Ben Chandler, D-6th District, said he was dismayed by the Inspector General's findings. His district includes Lexington, where Comair Flight 5191 crashed Aug. 27 on takeoff from Blue Grass Airport, killing 49 people. At the time of the crash, one controller was in the airport's tower, contrary to the FAA policy, which required two.

The Inspector General's report said the FAA would have staffing standards this year for its 21 en route centers -- which handle planes between airports -- but would not have similar standards for the rest of its facilities until the end of 2008. However, FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said in an e-mail that the agency will publish staffing ranges for all facilities in the next couple of weeks. It's not clear whether both are speaking of projections, targets, shortfalls or establishment variations.

"It's a shell game with the FAA right now," said Jeff Gilde, president of the union at Louisville International Airport. Louisville presently has 40 controllers, compared with 51 negotiated with the FAA as the staffing number, Gilde said. But three of those controllers are retiring next month, he said.
"Next year seven more will retire", Gilde said. "It's ridiculous, and it's going to get worse." So far Louisville has one trainee replacement and is looking for three more.

The FAA concurred with the inspector general's findings, except for the recommendation to refine its retirement projection. The FAA response says the agency increased its new hires during the last quarter of the year to compensate for the increased retirements. It's not clear how new hires can compare with experienced controllers. It would appear to be apples versus oranges - unless a high proportion of the "new" controllers were ex-military. The bottom line may eventually be seen in the number of accidents and/or incidents sheeted home to controller inexperience. The NTSB may get to have the last word.