Another FAA hero
Posted by Paul Cox on December 7th, 2009
There is yet another hero in the FAA. The agency won’t say so; instead, they’re continuing to stick to their guns and say that he’s a problem child, that his disciplinary issues don’t have ANYTHING AT ALL to do with the safety issues he brought up, and that beyond that they can’t talk about it.
They are, of course, worthless scumbag liars.
Ladies and gentlemen, read about Ray Adams, Newark Tower.
But two years ago, Adams began seeing disturbing things from his perch, including near-crashes at the airport’s dangerous runway intersections and pilots befuddled by changing flight operations.
He saw too much for the liking of the Federal Aviation Administration, which booted Adams from the control tower and tried to keep the same landing patterns at the runway intersections. Adams said he was put on administrative leave and later suspended on a trumped-up charge that was filed after he raised concerns about flight patterns.
Last month, Adams was vindicated and the FAA lambasted by U.S. Office of Special Counsel, which sent a report to President Obama.
It’s stuff like this that makes us so skeptical about the FAA’s claimed switch to a “safety culture”.
I’ll believe that when Ray’s punishment is reversed and expunged from the record, he’s recertified to his job, he’s given backpay, and most importantly when all of the FAA officials- supervisors, operational managers, facility manager, hub manager, regional manager, and whichever senior vice president they’re talking about in the story- when every one of these people is either fired, retired, or if retained by the FAA is made (via harsh punishment) to clearly understand that what they did to Ray was WRONG.
The guy stands up and says “hey, this is unsafe” and almost loses his job for it. And later, what do we find? That it’s unsafe.
He’s a hero. We need more heroes in the FAA, more whistleblowers, more people to stand up for what’s right.
And do you know what the most depressing thing about this episode, and every other one like it is?
The whistleblowers- the brave folks standing up and getting a beat-down for it- are never managers. They’re always the worker bees.
The FAA talks incessantly about leadership and taking a bold stand, yet we have seen absolutely zero of that from within the management ranks. Why do you suppose that is?
December 7th, 2009 at 4:35 am
Hiring managers in the FAA is a lot like Wal-Mart hiring workers.
Wal-Mart, when it is selecting employees, makes sure it hires those with no backbone of their own. It culls out former Union members, or leaders of any kind, from the ranks of those who apply, ensuring that there is absolute minimal chance that a Wal-Mart worker will ever have the backbone to stand up to higher-level management.
The FAA choosing managers is no different. They cull the applicants, looking only for the “yes men”. The ones who will do the bidding of higher management, without ever asking who is right, or what is safe. It’s been that way for years.
December 7th, 2009 at 6:36 am
This isn’t entirely true. The managers just tend to do it (a) behind the scenes and away from our safety reporting mechanisms, and (b) to protect themselves when the bill finally comes due.
The former ATM at Lexington knew that if an accident ever happened, the FAA would let him take the fall for not using OT to put an extra controller on the mid – so he sent some concerned emails to the hub people, using his .gov account, just in case. The closer you get to the top, the more protection you get from HQ because your failure more directly reflects on them – but that doesn’t include anybody at any facility, at any level.
If they know enough to be concerned (not always guaranteed), I think your average manager will say something to the next highest link in the chain of command about it. NATCA’s focus should be on the muckety-mucks who can actually direct bodies and money to a facility, instead of the peons that get to think of themselves as “managers” because they’re making more money and wearing ties.
December 7th, 2009 at 6:41 am
I noticed Republican Congressman Chris Smith (NJ 4) on the airwaves defending Ray Adams and attacking the FAA recently. Where was Smith when Ray really needed him ? Oh that’s right, Bush was President then. In Smith’s defense, he did vote yes on the Latourette bill in June of 2006.
“The FAA talks incessantly about leadership and taking a bold stand, yet we have seen absolutely zero of that from within the management ranks. Why do you suppose that is?”
Management by slogan Paul. FAA/ATC is largely “run” (not entirely) by a cadre of career weak sticks who never liked workng airplanes, never cared much for controllers or actually being one, who really value loyalty to the FAA company line above all else. FAAMA and Supcom are also largely inhabitated by career employees who lean if not tilt politically right, and are more interested in far too many cases in turning a blind eye on those they are supposed to regulate in exchange for post retirement employement.
December 7th, 2009 at 10:29 am
It’s too bad, the New York Hub Manager isn’t a bad guy. He run’s one of the lesser hotbed towers – LGA.
December 7th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
One only has to look at the “line up” of supes and OM’s at SCT to define PATHETIC management. They range from drug users to DUI felons…that’s right DUI felons. (BUR OM)……not to mention that 95% of them were weak sticks controllers that grieved their way to the next level.
I hate them all but what REALLY bothers me is the controllers who kiss up to them. I mean the BUR area cannot wait to suck Merlins you know what. They are lined up to do it too.
I watch from the LA Area in amazement. It makes me want to puke. …then you throw in the people who socialize with them and play golf with them and I wonder just how many controllers even care about anyone but themselves. NOT MANY ! Sad but true.
December 7th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Merlin has quite a Union pedigree, actually.
On the subject of Ray Adams, I’ve seen enough to know that not one management official (not even a supervisor) will take any kind of hit for their attempted retaliation against him. That’s what we call FAA Integrity.
December 7th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
INTREGY= IT’S WHAT WE BE!
Let’s see some heads roll b b b b babbitt!
December 8th, 2009 at 1:22 am
http://www.faafollies.com/?p=444
December 8th, 2009 at 10:43 am
It’s a numbers game with FAA management. If they are called on the carpet for an accident or incident, well there is just so many of them that they can throw one or two of them under the bus and no one would really notice they were missing. Besides, it been awhile since I’ve seen FAA management listed as the “Probable Cause”. I think they’re okay with being named a “Contributing Factor”.
December 8th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Just you all haven’t heard. Last night a whistleblower was unable to handle the pressure and he took his own life. Mark J Meola was assigned to the Franfurt IFO as an Airworthness Inspector. Charges were trumped up and he was eventually fired from the FAA. Normally we Whistleblowers have shown a lot of strenght, however, under the intense pressure under the FAA, we sometimes give in. I too have been that close, but for the help of my FAA friends and my family, I survived. Pray for his wife Megan.
December 8th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Unfortunately, Mark is not the only casualty of FAA mis-Management.
December 8th, 2009 at 11:41 pm
Sad that a government agency is being run like a mafia family. Tow the line or take your beat down.
Until some V.P. level people (Day,etc.) take a beat down of their own from the very top for this crap they will continue on. And won’t care.
Something that is such a simple goal….we are all here to support everyone that gets into those funny looking flying things, and we are all on the same team. Except It is all jacked up from Incompetence, disconnect and power trips. That’s my soapbox.
Truly sad for Marks family.
December 9th, 2009 at 8:22 am
Management never reports unsafe procedures because they are oblivious. Most of them can’t even find the tower or TRACON, and never actually monitor the operation!
December 10th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
How long had the procedure been in place at PHL?
December 10th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
My bad, EWR.
December 10th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
FAAGUY
It is kind of a bad question. The procedure has been in place for at least 15 years, but the type of aircraft has changed. You used to have DH8/SF34 landing 11/29 (the crossing RWY). Now they try to do it with B757 and B737/A320. It changes the whole dynamic of the procedure.
I do not work in that sector, but I am in the same building and hear the controllers bitch about it constantly. If they are bitching to me about it, it is because they feel it is unsafe.
The problem with a lot of management types is they think controllers just like to bitch. They need to change their mindset to realize if controllers are complaining about a perceived unsafe condition, maybe they should listen to the Pros and look at the procedure with an open mind.
Open mind, listen to controllers who am I kidding. It’s more like do what I tell you because I’m in charge. Asshats.
December 11th, 2009 at 7:10 am
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-15/1260497115159390.xml&coll=1
Randy admits management failed. Until action is taken against those responsible, it means nothing.
December 11th, 2009 at 11:41 am
There was a time when Management looked to its workforce for ideas and input. The people that did the most “bitching” were called “change agents” unfortunately the FAA has never learned how to harness the information coming from those employees. Mr. Babbitt, or anyone in management with enough authority and fortitude to make change please read the link below, you may learn something and start to take the FAA in a positive direction.
http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/original-thinking/what-is-a-change-agent-23764
December 12th, 2009 at 9:25 am
Perhaps you’ve seen this:
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/12/faa_head_admits_mishandling_ca.html
So the FAA has admitted “mishandling” Ray Adams. I’m sure that we’ll be hearing any day now how the managers that “mishandled” him are being held accountable.
Not.
December 12th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
Here is another story from Boise where the FAA leaders are determined to do what they want, taxpayer and politicians be damned!
http://www.idahostatesman.com/newsupdates/story/1006621.html
December 12th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
Someone should whistleblow the mess that has become FSS. Lockheed Martin has driven the service into the ground. And with 7 more facilities closing, FSS is phucked. There is no way 450-500 briefers can handle a potential(though it doesnt seem likely that pilots will continue using the service) 14,000,000 calls. But that was the last year it was an actual “Service” and not a profit motive. 85 calls a day, per briefer, and that aint gonna happen, not even remotely.
Now the management is telling people at DCA hub they probably wont be there in 2 years, lol…unbelievable, and noone cares, not even the aopa.
December 13th, 2009 at 5:21 am
“The problem with a lot of management types is they think controllers just like to bitch”
Well that’s one problem anyway. Lets be clear here, FAA “management” was given a green light to tee off on controllers during the Blakey Sturgell reign of terror in a way never before seen, by this 22+ year vet anyway. And if McCain had won the WH, Ray would never have gotten vindicated, Congressman Smith(R NJ)would have never came out in his defense, and whomever McCain had appointed at FAA would have had a very different conversation with the US Senate commerce committee than the one Babbitt had.
FSS debacle ? Blakey’s give away(among many)to the private sector to pave her path to riches at AIA. The private sector always does it better and cheaper than we feds…right ?
FAAMA is just lying in the weeds, hoping Obama is a one term POTUS, so they can go back to what they were doing under Blakey and Sturgell.
December 13th, 2009 at 7:23 am
AS, you are 100% correct yet there will be controllers voting for Palin or whoever the right wingnuts put up for election. Most likely they will be the same controllers who voted for Bush, McCain and are bidding FLM jobs at this very moment. Steve Merlin is a perfect example. He sold the membership out for that supe job in the BUR area.
December 13th, 2009 at 8:14 am
FSS will eventually go the way of bonfires and NDBs. It has never been able to sustain itself with GA revenue. Taxpayer funding has kept it alive, and most taxpayers don’t use the service.
From a taxpayer point of view: Why pay for something that I don’t use?
But don’t fret over Lockmart losing a juicy govt contract, there’s plenty of money to go around in NEXGEN!
December 14th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
For FAA Guy,
Can you name even one example of a member of FAA management being fired for cause?
I can only think of only one, A AF hub mamager was fired several weeks after reporting to federal prison to serve 50+ years for being a serial child molester.
They only fired him because he didn’t show up for work and ran out of leave.
Until the FAA starts holding their managers accountable at a slightly less drastic level nothing will change.
December 14th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
“FSS will eventually go the way of bonfires and NDBs. It has never been able to sustain itself with GA revenue. Taxpayer funding has kept it alive, and most taxpayers don’t use the service.”
You could make the same case for ATC right ? General revenue(the taxpayers) keeps ATC going to, in addition to trust fund revenue. User fees come in(largely a Republican plan), VFRs check out, fly blind and ignore ATC.
If Lockmart loses the FSS gig(I disagree with you here, that contract will go on forever in my view) or even if they don’t, they’re waiting in the wings, just like Boeing, Raytheon and the rest of the companies Snakey whores for at AIA, with their own ATC “plan”, hardware and software.
One more round of Republican control of government will be all that it will take.
December 15th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
FAA Managers can’t be fired? I hope not, we have two here at Houston Center that seem to be very hostile types. (Imagine that). One had a road rage incident (I believe attacked someone with his car) and was arrested. The other was arrested while at the FAA love fest in ATL and was sent home early. Maybe you can do a blog on these fine LEADERS…
December 17th, 2009 at 7:31 am
FAA Guy, WIll you please e-mail me at squishO90@yahoo.com?I have a question and maybe a small request.
Thanks
Rick
December 17th, 2009 at 8:40 am
I did hear there were a few management positions available at EWR…
January 18th, 2010 at 3:57 pm
FAA lies?….Got one better than that. They obstruct Air 21 investigations evidently by the FAA audit report I just received from US Senator Levin’s office just recently. Great Lakes office of Atty Michael McKinley has just been ruled to have blocked all access to facts in an attempt to file an Air 21 case through US DOL/OSHA Lansing. I cannot tell you my fellow aviation professionals just how sickening this obstruction to air carrier safety makes me. Former Naval Aviator and pt 121 Air Carrier MD-80 Captain. Now I have requested a hearing on Captial Hill through US Senator Levin’s office and I am demanding an invesitgation into this matter. Yes the FAA does lie and it also obstructs lawful Air 21 rights to the facts.
April 9th, 2010 at 7:53 pm
Thank you so much for your blog…