Easily qualifying as the worst thing I’ve read all week, a terrifying new report from the New York Times claims that “near collision” episodes involving commercial airlines are a weekly occurrence in America.
The Times report draws on extensive records sourced from the Federal Aviation Administration, as well as a little known NASA database that holds “safety reports” filed by pilots and air traffic controllers. Altogether, the documents reveal that planes from “all major U.S. airlines” suffer “near misses”—they almost crash into each other—pretty much all the fucking time.
The Times analysis shows that such “close calls” are happening multiple times a week—and that there were 46 such incidents reported last month alone. During the most recent 12-month period where data was available, reporters found that there were roughly 300 reported “near collision” incidents involving major airlines, some of which avoided disaster only via last second maneuvering.
The concrete details of some of these incidents are laid bare in the Times reporting—and are probably enough to make some readers swear off air travel for the rest of their natural lives. A vast majority of the incidents are said to be the result of pilot or air traffic controller error, and many of them happen in and around airports during take off or landing, the Times reports.
In one incident that recently occurred in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, an air traffic controller accidentally cleared a Delta jet to approach the airport for landing, which put it on a collision course with a Spirit airlines flight that had also been cleared to land. In another incident at New Orleans International Airport, an incoming Southwest flight nearly collided with a Delta flight that was in the process of taking off. The stories go on and on.
The Times calls this whole mess an “alarming pattern of safety lapses and near misses” and says that dangerous incidents are being reported with more and more frequency at U.S. airports. That said, it’s not clear whether dangerous incidents are happening more frequently or whether reporting of the incidents has gone up. Still, the reporting suggests that a major culprit behind this trend is a “chronic” understaffing of air traffic control towers. This has been a well-known problem in the commercial aviation world for quite some time. Common wisdom suggests that the pandemic hit the air travel industry particularly hard and that air traffic control staffing levels were reduced during that period and never fully recovered. Now, despite recent FAA efforts to re-staff, things are looking pretty hairy. The newspaper states:
As of May, only three of the 313 air traffic facilities nationwide had enough controllers to meet targets set by the FAA and the union representing controllers, the Times found. Many controllers are required to work six-day weeks and a schedule so fatiguing that multiple federal agencies have warned that it can impede controllers’ abilities to do their jobs properly.
Air traffic controllers are apparently so disturbed by this situation that they have begun writing letters to the FAA in a desperate plea for additional manpower and resources. One such letter, revealed in the report, says: “The staffing shortage is beyond unsustainable. It has now moved into a phase of JUST PLAIN DANGEROUS…Controllers are making mistakes left and right. Fatigue is extreme…The margin for safety has eroded tenfold. Morale is rock bottom. I catch myself taking risks and shortcuts I normally would never take.”
A close call between a chartered jet and a JetBlue flight at Logan Airport in Boston last February was a near run thing indeed, according to the final report from the National Transportation Safety Board.
A JetBlue Embraer ERJ 190 was coming in for a landing from Nashville International Airport to Logan Airport in Boston on February 27 when the flight crew received an alert from their ground detection alarms. Just 400 feet below the commercial flight, a chartered Lear 60 jet run by a company called Hop-A-Jet had just taken off without permission from air traffic control. The photo above shows just how close the two airplanes came.
The JetBlue flight received a “go-around” order and landed safely after avoiding the Lear jet. That crew was alerted they had taken off without permission when the plane landed in Fort Lauderdale hours later. The pilot in the Lear jet claims he was certain they had clearance for take off, according to the NTSB report.
MIT Aeronautics & Astronautics Professor John Hansman told CBS how vital these safety systems are when fallible humans are behind the yoke:
“I think it was a screw up. Humans and the system will make errors occasionally,” Hansman told WBZ-TV. “We design the system in order to have levels of redundancy and support to catch those errors. I think this is an example of the system working like it’s supposed to.”
The pilot of the Learjet in this case told the safety board the cold Boston weather somehow affected him, saying in a statement to the safety board, “I cannot understand what happened to me during the clearance, the only thing that comes to my mind is that the cold temperature in Boston affected me, I was not feeling completely well and had a stuffed nose. My apologies.”
From the perspective of a veteran pilot, Patrick Smith of askthepilot.com, it was a failure of piloting 101.
“When it comes to this sort of thing, you have layers of safety. You have technology acting in the manner of this runway incursion avoidance system and you also have pilots doing what they’re supposed to do and what they’re expected to do,” said Smith.
Close calls at airports are on the rise, leading to a Federal Aviation Administration “safety summit” in March. Since then, airports have continued to be very messy places, with shortages of air traffic controllers, flight crews, mechanics, folks who manufacture planes and Transportation Security Agents. Just last week a commercial jet had to take evasive action over Ft. Lauderdale when a private flight crossed its path (or vice versa). Two flight attendants were injured in that incident.
A transport safety agency says it has found an urgent and potentially lethal safety issue with fuel systems for commercial boats, as part of its investigation into a vessel capsize last year that killed five people.
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) released the safety issue finding as part of its preliminary report into the capsize of the i-Catcher at Goose Bay near Kaikōura on September 10 last year, in which five people died.
TAIC is recommending that Maritime NZ improve its system for boat surveys and alert surveyors of the importance of inspecting the entire fuel system of vessels.
Initial inquiries have shown i-Catcher capsized after contact with a whale, TAIC said.
Eleven people were onboard the vessel. Five passengers and the skipper were rescued but five passengers died, with their bodies found in the upturned hull of the vessel.
Evidence from TAIC’s medical consultant has shown that the dead passengers had inhaled petrol fumes, with petrol found on the water surface of the air pocket in the hull.
The initial report said this very likely reduced the survivability of the accident.
TAIC’s chief accident investigator Naveem Kozhuppakalam said the petrol almost certainly leaked from flaws in the vessel’s fuel system.
“A pipe connected to the secondary fuel tank vent hose had a hole that was the main source of leaked fuel,” he said.
There was another leak from the primary fuel tank vent hose — a critical component to ensure a secure connection to the fuel take — which also wasn’t secured with a hose clamp.
The vessel had been surveyed five times by different surveyors in its 13 years of commercial service but TAIC has not identified when the hole appeared. None of the survey reports show inspections of the fuel systems below the deck plate.
Surveyors are more likely to find deficiencies if they are required to inspect the whole fuel system of a vessel, not just parts that are easy to access, TAIC said.
“This is about more than the i-Catcher; it is system-wide, nationwide because there are hundreds of boats like i-Catcher in our commercial fleet, tens of thousands more in the recreational fleet.”
TAIC is continuing with a full inquiry into the incident.
Additional reporting by Adam Ray
A private jet and a Airbus A320 commercial aircraft got a little too close for comfort in the skies above southern Florida last weekend.
Allegiant Air flight 485 left Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and was routed by a traffic controller at the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center. The pilot was told to turn east at 23,000 feet. There, it crossed right into the path of a Gulfstream business jet heading north, according to NBC Miami:
The pilot received an automated alert about another aircraft at the same altitude and took “evasive action,” the FAA said in a statement.
The pilot of the Gulfstream also took evasive action after receiving a similar alert, officials said.
The Allegiant flight returned to Fort Lauderdale, where a flight attendant was treated for injuries, officials said.
An Allegiant spokesperson declined to comment when contacted by NBC6, writing, “I must refer you to the FAA, as this is an active investigation.”
Naturally the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident. Since turbulence was expected, and the flight was only 20 minutes or so underway, the 174 passengers aboard the Allegiant Air flight remained unharmed, but two flight attendants were thrown to the floor of the fuselage during the maneuver.
Longtime commercial airline pilot and Air Force veteran Dan Stratman told NBC there’s been a spike in near-misses this year.
“In this case, that seems to be the most likely scenario, that the two airplanes were on a collision course and the controller might not have remembered that. Luckily, the equipment took over and kept the disaster from happening,” Stratman said. “This year has been a bad year, and there’s been a spike in near-misses, both in the air and on the ground, on runways. The FAA has convened some meetings to try to figure out what’s going on.”
Stratman said that possible theories include trying to rehire airline pilots and air traffic controllers, after senior personnel were laid off or retired early during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also noted that air travel has increased since the peak of the pandemic.
“The equipment worked exactly the way it should have. All airliners have had something called TCAS for many years to alert pilots that there’s a potential collision,” he said. “Now, all airplanes, even small ones, are required to have an updated version.”
South Florida is a particularly tricky place to fly these days, what with the tourist destinations, extreme weather, influx of private planes and oh yeah, space launches. The FAA is also dealing with a shortage of air traffic controllers up and down the eastern seaboard. While vacancies are being filled, it takes years to train someone to handle the complex ins-and-outs of air traffic.
Says recommendation proposed is vague, needs reworking with actual facts & figures
MARGAO
A consultancy firm Terra Hydrotech Solutions engaged by the Benaulim panchayat has disputed the findings of the Water Resources Department (WRD) on the question of flooding in the low-lying and water catchment areas of Benaulim and adjoining area in the event the western bypass passing through Benaulim is not built on stilts.
In fact, the firm has concluded that the WRD report on flooding at Benaulim is based on insufficient data and that the methodology used to analyse the draining in the study area is rudimentary.
The firm has further stated in its report submitted to the Benaulim village panchayat, which is now relied by the panchayat to make a strong case before the High Court in support of its plea to build the bypass on stilts, that the recommendation proposed by WRD Chief Engineer is very vague and needs to be reworked with actual facts and figures, considering the right discharge points of Sal River at Khareband.
With the Goa government rejecting the demand for bypass on stilts by increasing the number of culverts along the stretch, the firm has pointed out that the proposed elevated structure for a small stretch will cause water-logging due to the damming effect and hence is a poor solution.
“If reworked, the figures will definitely be very higher than that stated in the report and the actual cause of the flooding can be delineated and real time solutions for mitigation of this situation can be delivered,” the firm stated in its report.
Doing a review of the study report and recommendation on the proposed National Highway Bypass passing through Benaulim prepared and submitted by Chief Engineer, Water Resources Department, Porvorim Goa and presented to the Member Secretary, Goa State Biodiversity Board, the firm has said WRD has prepared the report based on insufficient base data and information.
Saying the WRD report assumes values of the intensity of rainfall, slope of the river, type of soil, depth of the river and, flow and discharge rate of the river without providing any reference for the information.
Further pointing out that the entire catchment area has not been considered in the report, the firm stated that in the theoretical calculation presented in the report, the catchment area is assumed to be 55 sq km up to the wholesale fish market. However, the flooding problem is prevalent in the entire Benaulim catchment area up to Kharebandh which is two km downstream from the wholesale fish market. Hence, the agency has recommended to recalculate the catchment area to accommodate the entire area contributing to the flooding situation near Kharebandh and Benaulim and to rework the calculations for discharge at river outlet point near Kharebandh.
Saying there is no indication in the report of any ground survey, field measurements and sampling, it further pointed out there’s no demarcation of the flood plain detention basin and traditional openings on the catchment delineation map shown in the report.
On the maximum flood levels, the agency has pointed out that the Hydrology of River Sal makes no mention of the maximum height and average height of the floods. “These levels are important to assess the area currently impacted due to flooding, the area which may be impacted due to flooding after the construction of the highway as well as determining the height of the culverts,” the firm stated.
Saying the existing constrictions from the wholesale fish market to the southern boundary of Benaulim has not been considered in the WRD study report, the agency said building the highway along or close to the narrow points in the river where the channel width decreases, can have a significant impact on the flow of water and sediment transport, as well as the hydrology, ecology, and human activities within the river basin.
Referring to the absence of flood modeling in the WRD report, the agency said a flood modeling report is a technical analysis of flood behaviour using computer models. It typically includes a detailed analysis of flood hydrology, hydraulic modeling of river channels and floodplains, impact of the proposed project i.e western bypass highway and an evaluation of flood mitigation measures such as installation of culverts along the highway.
A Franklin County man was killed on Monday after his Jeep collided with a tank truck in Enosburg.The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles said that 51-year-old Anthony Hunt, of Enosburg, was driving on Vermont Route 105 near Water Tower Road around 7:52 a.m. when he crossed over the center line and into the path of an incoming tank truck.Hunt was pronounced dead at the scene.The driver of the tank truck was identified as 71-year-old Gary Tetreault of Montgomery. Officials did not say whether Tetreault was injured in the crash.The crash caused the roadway to be closed for five hours while Vermont State Police and members of the Vermont DMV assessed the scene.DMV inspectors continue to investigate the crash and said that they have not ruled out impairment as a possible factor.Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to contact the DMV Inspectors at 802-828-2078.
ENOSBURG, Vt. —
A Franklin County man was killed on Monday after his Jeep collided with a tank truck in Enosburg.
The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles said that 51-year-old Anthony Hunt, of Enosburg, was driving on Vermont Route 105 near Water Tower Road around 7:52 a.m. when he crossed over the center line and into the path of an incoming tank truck.
Hunt was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the tank truck was identified as 71-year-old Gary Tetreault of Montgomery. Officials did not say whether Tetreault was injured in the crash.
The crash caused the roadway to be closed for five hours while Vermont State Police and members of the Vermont DMV assessed the scene.
DMV inspectors continue to investigate the crash and said that they have not ruled out impairment as a possible factor.
Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to contact the DMV Inspectors at 802-828-2078.
Incidents reported to Danville and Vermilion County police include:
Monday, Jan. 2:
1:09 a.m., criminal trespass, 1100 block of Fowler Avenue.
8:23 a.m., burglary at an undisclosed location.
9:38 a.m., criminal trespass, 2300 block of Greenwood Cemetery Road.
9:49 a.m., death investigation at an undisclosed location.
10:26 a.m., death investigation at an undisclosed location.
10:27 a.m., property damage accident in Tilton, 1900 block of Georgetown Road.
11:09 a.m., burglary at an undisclosed location.
11:28 a.m., battery, 800 block of Martin Street.
1:01 p.m., criminal damage, 600 block of Sager Street.
1:27 p.m., burglary, 2100 block of East Main Street.
2:00 p.m., property damage accident, North Vermilion Street and East Voorhees Street.
2:41 p.m., theft at an undisclosed location.
2:50 p.m., domestic battery at an undisclosed location.
3:09 p.m., property damage accident in Tilton, Fifth Street and Tilton Road.
3:27 p.m., domestic battery, 500 block of Bryan Avenue.
4:24 p.m., personal injury accident at an undisclosed location.
4:49 p.m., domestic battery, 500 block of Anderson Street.
5:32 p.m., aggravated battery, East Main Street and Lake Street.
5:43 p.m., property damage accident, North Vermilion Street and West Newell Road.
9:58 p.m., unlawful use of a weapon, 200 block of Blackford Street.
10:49 p.m., aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, East Seminary and North Hazel Streets.
11:15 p.m., criminal damage, 2500 block of Georgetown Road.
Tuesday, Jan. 3:
8:05 a.m., burglary, 1500 block of Michigan Avenue.
8:17 a.m., property damage accident in Westville, 15000 block of East 1100 North Road.
8:35 a.m., aggravated battery to police officer, two reports of aggravated battery to school official, obstructing and resisting police at an undisclosed location.
9:13 a.m., burglary, possession of burglary tools, possession of meth, 600 block of North Vermilion Street.
10:17 a.m., criminal damage, 1500 block of Fairchild Street.
10:42 a.m., property damage accident in Westville, South State Street and Main Street.
11:18 a.m., aggravated battery at an undisclosed location.
11:21 a.m., aggravated domestic battery, unlawful restraint, criminal damage, 1200 block of McKinley Avenue.
1:14 p.m., domestic battery in Tilton, 2000 block of King Street.
1:54 p.m., battery, 800 block of Bryan Avenue.
3:05 p.m., burglary, 300 block of Eastgate Drive.
3:20 p.m., theft at an undisclosed location in Fairmount.
4:58 p.m., property damage accident, North Vermilion Street and West Newell Road.
6:07 p.m., personal injury accident at an undisclosed location.
9:20 p.m., aggravated battery with deadly weapon, 400 block of Harmon Street.
9:49 p.m., aggravated discharge of a firearm, 200 block of Delaware Avenue.
Incidents reported to Danville and Vermilion County police include:
Monday, Dec. 19:
12:04 a.m., property damage accident, Deerwood Drive and Fowler Avenue.
2:50 a.m., property damage accident, 700 block of West Williams Street.
3:49 a.m., retail theft, 600 block of South Bowman Avenue.
7:46 a.m., criminal damage at an undisclosed location.
8:37 a.m., theft, East South Street.
8:54 a.m., criminal damage, 200 block of North Vermilion Street.
9:15 a.m., retail theft, 2900 block of North Vermilion Street.
9:48 a.m., retail theft, 2900 block of North Vermilion Street.
10:58 a.m., personal injury accident at an undisclosed location.
1:12 p.m., property damage accident, 500 block of North Gilbert Street.
2:35 p.m., criminal damage, aggravated arson, 4100 block of North Vermilion Street.
3:04 p.m., theft, U.S. 150 and Batestown Road.
4:43 p.m., theft at an undisclosed location.
4:45 p.m., theft at an undisclosed location in Fithian.
5:45 p.m., property damage accident, Fairchild and Oak Streets.
5:54 p.m., property damage accident, Voorhees Street and Daisy Lane.
5:59 p.m., criminal damage, 1000 block of East Main Street.
6:34 p.m., domestic battery, 300 block of Porter Street.
6:44 p.m., assault, 1500 block of North Washington Avenue.
6:59 p.m., theft in Tilton, 14000 block of Catlin-Tilton Road.
7:23 p.m., hit and run at an undisclosed location in Tilton.
8:30 p.m., theft, 1500 block of Valleyview Avenue.
8:33 p.m., property damage accident, 27000 block of Illinois 1.
9:13 p.m., aggravated battery, 900 block of Shasta Drive.
Tuesday, Dec. 20:
1:00 a.m., burglary, 2000 block of East Main Street.
2:09 a.m., aggravated unlawful use of a weapon by a convicted felon, East Main Street and Bismark Street.
7:51 a.m., domestic battery, 1200 block of Garden Drive.
8:09 a.m., criminal damage, 300 block of Eastgate Drive.
9:09 a.m., theft, 400 block of North Vermilion Street.
9:53 a.m., domestic battery, 600 block of East 13th Street.
9:58 a.m., burglary, 2200 block of Oakwood Avenue.
11:41 a.m., death investigation at an undisclosed location.
11:51 a.m., theft, 900 block of North Franklin Street.
12:06 p.m., aggravated assault, 100 block of Elmwood Avenue.
1:38 p.m., retail theft, 1200 block of East Main Street.
2:22 p.m., criminal trespass, 600 block of Sherman Street.
4:52 p.m., sales of obscene material, 1000 block of Garfield Place.
5:02 p.m., property damage accident, 600 block of Section Street.
5:52 p.m., personal injury accident at an undisclosed location.
6:09 p.m., theft at an undisclosed location.
7:02 p.m., retail theft, 300 block of West Fairchild Street.
7:11 p.m., criminal damage at an undisclosed location.
9:17 p.m., criminal trespass, 900 block of Redden Court.
11:32 p.m., domestic battery, 900 block of North Hazel Street.
11:48 p.m., battery, 1000 block of North Bowman Avenue.
Wednesday, Dec. 21:
2:28 a.m., burglary, possession of drug paraphernalia, 2100 block of East Main Street.
Incidents reported to Danville and Vermilion County police include:
Saturday, Dec. 10:
8:20 p.m., driving while suspended, leaving the scene of an accident in Westville, 500 block of North State Street.
Tuesday, Dec. 13:
8:37 a.m., domestic battery, 900 block of Shasta Drive.
1:39 p.m., theft in Tilton, 1600 block of Georgetown Road.
Wednesday, Dec. 14:
8:05 a.m., theft in Catlin, 14000 block of North McGee Road.
10:06 a.m., property damage accident, Griggs and Pixley Streets.
10:12 a.m., criminal sexual assault at an undisclosed location.
10:46 a.m., property damage accident, 600 block of Section Street.
11:38 a.m., death investigation at an undisclosed location.
12:18 p.m., property damage accident in Fairmount, 9800 block of Camp Drake Road.
12:27 p.m., theft, 1900 block of Hickory Road.
12:36 p.m., criminal damage, 2700 block of North Vermilion Street.
12:45 p.m., domestic battery, 700 block of Cleveland Avenue.
1:30 p.m., indecent exposure, East Main Street.
2:15 p.m., retail theft, 800 block of North Vermilion Street.
2:36 p.m., criminal damage at an undisclosed location.
2:36 p.m., aggravated discharge of a firearm, Harrison Street.
3:33 p.m., death investigation at an undisclosed location.
4:11 p.m., property damage accident in Tilton, G Street and First Street.
4:24 p.m., theft at an undisclosed location.
4:42 p.m., personal injury accident at an undisclosed location.
4:50 p.m., property damage accident in Westville, South State and Vermont Streets.
5:01 p.m., personal injury accident at an undisclosed location.
8:19 p.m., criminal damage, East Fifth Street.
9:10 p.m., personal injury accident at an undisclosed location.
11:25 p.m., aggravated assault, 1200 block of North Bowman Avenue.
Thursday, Dec. 15:
4:01 a.m., domestic battery in Hoopeston, 200 block of West Maple Street.
City asked to reconsider role in commercial developments
Recently, I responded to the City of Flagstaff (COF) appeal to residents regarding current budgeting priorities and objectives. Earlier this year I had the opportunity to attend the City of Flagstaff’s budgeting retreats. Over multiple days, I learnt a great deal regarding the anticipated spending on operations and capital projects for fiscal year 2023-2024. The days were filled with charts, tables and diagrams.
At the end of one day, a COF staff member presented the refurbishing and rebuilding of a commercial property owned by the COF. The property is located before the entrance to Buffalo Park and it is primarily leased to the USGS. He proceeded to tell the budget meeting attendees, City Council and City Staff primarily, that a new investment in the USGS buildings would cost over $50 million. This amount was higher than prior year estimate of over $35 million! But not to worry, USFS and the COF were close to agreeing to a five-year lease with a five-year renewal! Not one question from the audience! Not a peep! Not a graph, table or diagram! I was stunned! I do not believe any commercial developer would spend over $50 million with a potential five- or 10-year lease in the future.
Developing commercial property is NO WHERE to be found in the Flagstaff Key Community Priorities and Objectives used in the COF budgeting. The COF mission does not mention the COF developing commercial property.
If the COF remains in commercial building business, this presents numerous conflicts of interest for the COF. This situation today is like having the fox guarding the hen house given the COF enforces and creates the building codes!
The COF should divest all commercial property; the residents tax dollars can be better spent on actual COF’s Priorities and Objectives.
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