STAFFING LEVEL A CONCERN FOLLOWING OCT. 7 HELICOPTER CRASH
- Details
- Published: July 18, 2013
Systems Used to Track Aircraft Not Staffed During Time of Crash
WASHINGTON, DC— Professional Airways Systems Specialists (PASS), the union representing FAA systems operators, today expressed concern about computer operator staffing levels at ClevelandCenterfollowing an October 7 crash of a LifeStar medical helicopter in which the pilot was killed.
“This is yet another example of the FAA trying to cut corners by standing by idly while staffing levels of computer operators diminish,” said Tom Brantley, PASS national president. “Five years ago, ClevelandCenterwas staffed with eight computer operators. Today, there are two, meaning that the majority of overnight flights are not covered, as was the case during the October 7 crash. This situation is indicative of the entire nation where the FAA is slashing computer operator staffing.”
Computer operators, critical in hardware and software problem determination, are required to stand watch 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The operators are responsible for 24-hour supervision of the HOST computer system used at all of the nation’s Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCC’s), which are used to process flight radar data. When the tower reported the aircraft missing, sometime after 12:30 a.m., the system was not staffed.
The helicopter made radio contact with Cleveland ARTCC at approximately 11:40 p.m.and crashed during its approach to BradfordRegionalAirport. Because there were not any computer operators on duty, a Traffic Management Unit (TMU) employee, untrained on the HOST computer system, attempted to perform a data extraction operation to map the coordinates of the crashed helicopter. After repeated failed attempts, management contacted the computer operator previously on duty, who returned to work and was able to map the coordinates within a half-hour. Unfortunately, five hours had elapsed since loss of radio contact with the LifeStar helicopter.
“While the HOST system at ClevelandCenterwas not the cause of this tragic accident, it highlights our concerns about the staffing levels at facilities like ClevelandCenter,” said Brantley. “Had there been sufficient coverage for this shift, the location of this helicopter could have been determined in minutes instead of hours.”
“Since January, I have repeatedly warned FAA management about the dangerously low staffing levels of systems operators at ClevelandCenter. However, my concerns continue to fall on deaf ears,” said Mike Fox, systems operations manager at the ARTCC. “I don’t think they realize the gamble they are taking by not adequately staffing this very busy center.”
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PASS represents more than 11,000 employees of the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense who install, maintain, support and certify air traffic control and national defense equipment, inspect and oversee the commercial and general aviation industries, develop flight procedures and perform quality analyses of the aviation systems. For more information, visit the PASS website at www.passnational.org.