Update - August 07, 2012 – From Michael P. Huerta, Acting
FAA Administrator. As the FAA's Air Traffic
Organization continues its investigation of the
July 31st incident at Reagan National Airport,
I'd like to provide an interim update. The
preliminary findings confirm what we initially
reported, that miscommunication between the
Potomac 1'RACON and DCA Tower resulted in losses
of separation. Safety is our top priority - this
incident should not have happened. We have
reconfirmed that at no point were the aircraft
on a head-to-head course and the aircraft
remained at different altitudes.
Initial information indicated that the miscommunication
occurred when the TRACON and Tower were turning
the flow of traffic at the airport due to bad
weather developing south of the airport. As our
investigation has continued, we have concluded
that management's intention at the TRACON was
initially only to turn the direction of a series
of arrivals. Only after the loss of separation
events, was the flow of traffic at the airport
turned completely.
The procedure used for this series of arrivals involved
opposite direction operations. These operations
occur when an arrival or a departure is cleared
to use a runway end that is opposite from the
established flow of the airport. These
procedures are used at DCA and at airports
around the country in a variety of situations
including noise mitigation and cargo operations.
While this procedure encompasses many of the
same elements as turning the flow of an airport,
there is no standard protocol in place, and we
believe this contributed to the
miscommunication.
In light of these preliminary findings, out of an abundance
of caution, there are some immediate steps we
are taking. We have initiated a
temporary suspension on opposite direction
operations at commercial airports until detailed
procedures can be developed, trained and
implemented. Although most air traffic
facilities have detailed procedures for runway
change operations, procedures for opposite
direction arrivals and departures are not
standard.
We expect to have these detailed procedures in place across
the system within a month, and sooner than that
at locations that have frequent demand for
opposite direction operations. In the interim,
we will only use this type of operation in an
emergency situation. While we are training on
these new procedures, we will also reinforce the
necessity for diligently following existing
protocols when we turn the direction of an
airport.
In the course of our investigation, we have also identified
other opportunities for improvement in the
training we provide to certain tower controllers
and in managerial oversight of air traffic
operations. The actions taken by the
local controller at DCA Tower on July 31 were
absolutely appropriate to resolve the immediate
conflict. The controller worked quickly to
identify the issues and take action. This
incident did reveal a need for continued
vigilance regarding radar requirements,
procedures, communications and phraseology.
The FAA is working with the National Air Traffic Controller
Association (NATCA) to determine what additional
training is necessary for tower controllers and
what resources are needed to provide additional
radar training to tower controllers responsible
for separation of aircraft in Class B airspace.
This incident also raised the issue that front line
managers (FLM) are not only overseeing
operations in the tower, but also managing
administrative tasks. During times of moderate
to heavy and/or complex traffic, we need to be
sure that they are solely focused on the
operations in the facility, and not handling
administrative duties at that time. We will be
working over the coming weeks to make sure our
resources are properly deployed so tower
management has the appropriate support.
Separately, the FAA interviewed the pilot of inbound
Republic 3329 who had reported low fuel to the
tower and found that the aircraft did have
adequate fuel, and, in fact, upon landing had
more fuel than the FAA regulations require as a
reserve. As we continue to evaluate
detailed findings of the incident, we will work
with NATCA to develop "lessons learned"
briefings for all operational personnel. Longer
term, the agency will continue its collaboration
with NATCA to ensure that air traffic
controllers have adequate protocols, procedures
and training in place to continue to maintain
the high level of safety for the national
airspace.
We also look forward to coordinating and cooperating with
the NTSB in their investigation.
|