Watchdog: Air traffic controller errors soaring
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By JOAN LOWY
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - A report by a government watchdog says errors by air traffic controllers in the vicinity of airports as well as incidents in which there was an unauthorized plane, vehicle, or person on a runway have increased sharply in the past three years.
The Government Accountability Office report released Thursday says errors by controllers working at radar facilities that handle approaches and departures within about 30 miles of an airport have more than doubled.
The report also says runway incursions at airports with control towers - which includes most large and medium sized airports - nearly doubled between 2008 and this year.
A Federal Aviation Administration statement attributed the increases to better error reporting. The agency is also using new a plane-tracking system better able to spot planes too close together.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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