Crossing operations
Posted by Paul Cox on November 30th, 2009
I’m a bit mystified why this is even being discussed… but apparently there’s a considerable safety problem at Newark’s airport. Watch this CNN story (or read this version of it) …
What jumps out at me from this story are three main points.
First, and granted I’m not a TRACON/tower controller, but it just seems flat-out stupid to have operations going on criss-crossing runways. If someone’s got to go-around, then their course is going right into the path of someone else.
Second, it’s the same story; Ray Adams raises a safety problem with the agency, and instead of taking it seriously, they put the beat-down on him. Oh, but the disciplinary action has nothing to do with his safety complaint. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.
And third, the FAA puts in a tool (CRDA, Converging Runway Display Aid) that should alleviate the problems. Okay, that’s cool, I’m down with that; as I understand the theory of CRDA, it should work such that you could do these crossing-paths operations in a safe manner. BUT… on November 5th, the FAA and DOT tell the Office of Special Counsel that the FAA has implemented CRDA; but the next day, the OSC finds out that’s a lie.
From the news story…
FAA spokesperson Laura Brown said, “There was no intent to deceive anyone about what we were doing.” She added, “FAA safety officers wanted to make absolutely sure employees were fully trained on the equipment.” The FAA said it intends to have the computer system fully operational at Newark by mid-December.
Oh, I see. They didn’t MEAN to lie to the OSC, so it’s all okay.
What a bunch of bullshit. Of course they meant to get the OSC off of their backs; that’s exactly what they meant to do!
I have no problem with the agency saying “we’ve installed CRDA but cannot implement it until everyone’s fully trained, so for now it’s not up and running.” That would make sense- you can’t have people working on a system they haven’t been properly trained to use- and it’d also be the truth.
But the FAA wants everyone to think that hey, they weren’t trying to hide anything. Well, tell Ray Adams that! Tell Pete Nesbitt that! Tell the 45,000 employees of the FAA that, over 90% of the ATO says that they don’t trust the upper levels of management in their own agency!
We know the truth. The truth is that the FAA still has a long, long, long, long way to go when it comes to truly changing its ways.
The agency has been making a huge stir about the new “safety culture” and how important it is. The employees see that, and then they see a story like this one, and they see absolutely no managers paying the price for something like Ray’s suspension… and we know perfectly well that this “safety culture” stuff is a load of crap.
Now, if I hear that the managers who put Ray Adams on suspension have been forced to retire, or better yet fired, then maybe I’ll start believing that the agency is truly changing its ways. If I hear that Ray and Pete and the myriad of other FAA whistleblowers are getting a special award from the Administrator, including some serious dough and/or paid time off, for their bravery in stepping up to say “hey, this is an unsafe procedure” and continuing to say that after it’s been made clear that their jobs are at risk, then I’ll believe it.
Until then, it’s just a bunch of PR.
I’ll say this much, though- seeing Laura Brown say “we didn’t mean to lie” is at least a small improvement. Under Blakey/Sturgell they wouldn’t have even bothered to answer the question.
November 30th, 2009 at 8:40 am
Sooner or later Randy Babbitt is going to figure out that no real change is going to occur at the FAA until managers that continue to play by the “old” rules are fired. After a cople of heads roll, the rest of them will figure it out. Maybe.
November 30th, 2009 at 10:44 am
Our manager at my little tracon was recently removed for years of malfeasance against the workers and the union. While this would seem outwardly to be a hopeful sign…
Guess what her punishment was?
A reassignment to work on ERAM with a nice raise. She works from home half the time and the rest of the time she soaks up per dium at various vacation spots across the country.
And it gets even better, the region is paying another manager per dium from a facility several hundred miles away to be acting chief.
Sigh.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
http://www.faafollies.com/?p=361
I’m not sure why, but time after time it still amazes me that the agency can get away with this. Despicable.
November 30th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
Randy Babbitt is now one of those hacks who needs to get fired.
Half a year in office. Failure. Randy has now earned it.
Babbitt preferred to play his rope-a-dope game rather than fixing the Ray Adams and EWR situations. Babbitt earned it. Babbitt needs to be fired.
John J. Tormey III, Esq.
Quiet Rockland
November 30th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
Ray Adams is a true blooded HERO and every aviation professional should stand in unison and applaud him. His courage, fortitude and willingness to risk his whole livelihood to protect the lives of other is selfless and extraordinarily brave. We should nominate him for a special ARCIE LEAGUE AWARD and use the occasion to publicize and expose the corruption and the lack of respect for truth and rightiousness displayed by those morons occupying the higher FAA management positions. We are PROUD of our honorable brother and hold our noses in disgust at our bosses.
December 1st, 2009 at 5:55 am
“CRDA was installed?” Its part of the STARS program. It comes in the software from the manufacturer. Again another misleading statement from our shifty agency brethren. Its like buying Windows Vista and telling the world you went out and found a neat email program called Outlook to help your workers be more efficient. The agency makes it sound like they went out and found this program because it was so concerned about safety! It was there all along. For those who don’t know the FAA went to a system called STARS years ago. Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System. Faa’s attempt to standardize software and equipment nationwide. STARS comes with many features, this is just one of them. When Raytheon goes into a facility to set it up, they are on site for a lengthy period of time, a couple of months or so. Controllers attend classes and do computer based learning. Its a lengthy process. We were taught the basics right then in class how to use CRDA. My point is that that Raytheon was there, at the TRACON providing support and 100% attention to get the software running correctly. All that was needed for manglement to let Raytheon know they want CRDA set up. Controllers could have been formally and completely trained years ago. It could have been implemented all this time. But hey, if there is no safety problem, why bother?
December 1st, 2009 at 8:42 am
CRDA has been around for at least 10 to 15 years. We used to use it at the approach control I worked at back in the 90′s, way before STARS.
Rick
December 1st, 2009 at 9:58 am
N90 doesn’t use STARS. They use ARTS IIIE on ACD. They installed CRDA in the late nineties. The trouble with CRDA is that N90 turns final too close to the airport on Runway 22L, which causes the ghost target on Runway 11 to jump around, therefore making it unusable. That is unless they fixed the problem in the program. Which I doubt. It’s just easier to lie about it. And they certainly have their choice of management parasites to lie for them. Can’t imagine why I don’t miss my job.
BTW, retirement DOESN’T suck.
December 1st, 2009 at 10:54 am
I remember going to a meeting on CRDA in the early to mid 90′s. At that time I believe the only facility that had tried using it was St Louis, and it sounded like it scared the hell out of everyone. How many places use it now?
December 1st, 2009 at 10:56 am
oops “Wearing”, guess I should be wearing my glasses.
December 1st, 2009 at 12:20 pm
If CRDA is works so well at ensuring separation, enhancing safety, and increasing airport capacity — then why has the FAA not installed CRDA at other high-density airports?
I can’t wait to see the FAA flip the switch on CRDA at EWR. The number of go-around’s will increase; the number of NMAC’s will increase; the number of s-turns inside the FAF will increase; the number of runway “overfly” situations will increase; and Controllers will be asked (ordered) to make it work.
And in the end… SAFETY will DECREASE.
Peter
CRDA — been there done that.
December 1st, 2009 at 2:09 pm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/30/AR2009113004066.html
December 1st, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Obama gave us a contract, Babbitt is another bitch. Ray just wants to get by.
Who’s left to fire the Douche? Day? Thunder thighs?
Maybe Jody will step up and do the dirty work. She’s the only honest person in HQS these days!
You go girl! Clean house!
December 1st, 2009 at 9:12 pm
Why should we commend or reward people like Ray or Peter when there are truly hard working heroes like the two fine employees who were recently rewarded for their tremendous work on the FAA’s Plain Language Program. There is even a Plain Language Manager (not making that up). Check out FAA Today at https://employees.faa.gov/news/focusfaa/story/?newsId=59925
December 1st, 2009 at 9:20 pm
Why should we commend or reward people like Ray or Peter when there are truly hard working heroes like the two fine employees who were recently rewarded for their tremendous work on the FAA’s Plain Language Program. There is even a Plain Language Manager (not making that up). Check out FAA Today at https://employees.faa.gov/news/focusfaa/story/?newsId=59925
On the question of retaliatory disciplinary action (which I’ve seen a bit of myself) there is absolutely no accountability for FAA management. When they engage in this misconduct, nothing bad happens. Ever.
December 3rd, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Why is Laura Brown and that moron Ian Gregor still employed? They should have been ****canned when Babbitt came in.
January 25th, 2010 at 12:13 pm
I have been reading all of this with a big grin. My EOD was in ’69 (when we ran all strips by hand and used shrimp boats — but back then a 2,500 day was a BIG day) From what I’m reading here, NOTHING has changed except you guys don’t have to wear white shirts and narrow black ties (even on the mids)
I retired on “THE DAY” that I was elgible… in the middle of the week in the middle of a pay period, and while I absolutely LOVED moving the iron (ARTCC 9 yrs. and LEVEL V TRACON 16 yrs.) I could not stand the lies and cover-ups from management. Many of my supervisors just smiled when I would tell them that I hoped they would find their missing b###s when they retired.
It is/was a rewarding job because I felt like I was doing “some” good, but I don’t regret leaving on “THE DAY” even though I missed the big raise in ’98.