Air Traffic Controller Errors Soaring, Government Watchdog Reports

Not much new here. I think increased traffic from 2004 to 2010 would account for the higher incident rate. If they took it a step further and factored in that increase, it may have actually gone down on a % basis.
As far as controller errors, the article mentions that Babbitt himself said they had a better error reporting system, so in that respect, we don't know what went unreported from the git go. Personally, I think they do a damn good job. It's kinda like the air crashes and pilot errors. All you hear about are the bad ones from which no recovery was made.You never hear about all the success stories where somebody does what they are supposed to.

N90 is the New York TRACON. Most complex airspace in the world!

First heard about this on FOXNews' Fox Report either this past Fri or Sat. They gave it the typical MSM alarmist treatment, but also put forward the notion that some of the increase may be due to increased self-reporting of errors which previously might have been held back for risk of receiving punishment.

I guess the FAA has been encouraging a no-fault reporting of operational errors, with the rationale that to really go to the heart of improving the situation, you must have good data about what's _really_ going on. Remove risk of sanction, you maybe get more self-reporting, and then the agency can better analyze trend and implement better safety improvements on an organization-wide basis.

Sort of a no-harm/no-foul, but tell us so we can work on making things better. It reminds me of NASA's ASRS system many pilots may use to self-report blunders without risk of a punitive response based solely on making the report.

So, I am not sure if this news is emblematic of a dangerous new trend, or merely a revealing of the underlying reality of ATC which had hitherto been hidden in a dark corner. Either way, the data will be used to drive improvements, and if you felt safe flying yesterday, you ought to feel AS safe tomorrow.

DOT LaHood at National Press Club said delays are up. 74% on time arrival. Now GAO says "deals" doubled. Babbitt agrees.

March 27, 1977 on an airport runway on the Spanish island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands when two Boeing 747s collided, killing 583 people.

Controllers are no longer being assigned to high-level terminal facilities like N90, LAX, ORD, DTW, etc. right out of the academy. They can still go to a Center, but centers have well established training cirriculum compared to the terminal facilities. That became effective sometime this year.

I love slow news days!!!

As a radar controller I can't speak to the increase in runway incursions or other surface errors, but I can tell you that the vast majority of the airborne errors are due to the new computer program monitoring all aircraft every day. 2.99 miles when you need 3 is a reportable event. 3.99 miles behind a Boeing 757 when you need 4 is an operational error. Pilots reading back clearances but not using their callsign is a controller error.

Not much has changed in my 21 years of ATC and safety is not on a downslide. Airplanes are not running into each other!

TA - DFW TRACON controller, Airline Transport Pilot, Flight Instructor

The past five years or so, the FAA has been on a hiring spree and taking quantity over quality, as far as new hires. Many of the new controllers are inexperienced and being put in facilities that are above their skill level.(i.e.ORD,LAX,JFK,ZNY,N90) Because of this, many incidents have occured and the lack of reporting goes right back to management. Either they turn their back or do a totally 180 and try to crucify you for it. I've seen it at my past and present facility. There are many changes that need to be made.

Thank you to Wayne for the complement.