"Reports of mistakes in air traffic control double; Worker in N.Y. alleges a lax atmosphere" by Joan Lowy, Associated Press / February 12, 2011
WASHINGTON — In a time of unparalleled aviation safety in the United States, reports of mistakes by air traffic controllers have nearly doubled — a seeming contradiction that puzzles safety experts.
The near collision last month of an American Airlines jet with 259 people aboard and two Air Force transport planes southeast of New York City, coupled with the rise in known errors, has raised concerns in Congress that safety may be eroding....
In fact, an air traffic controller at the Ronkonkoma, N.Y., radar facility that handled the American plane said he complained about a lax atmosphere at the facility — the second-busiest of its kind in the nation.
Controller Evan Seeley, 26, said he ran afoul of the local union when he tried to prevent sick leave and scheduling abuses aimed at increasing overtime pay. Even more disturbing were Seeley’s charges that controllers sometimes watch movies and play with electronic devices during nighttime shifts when traffic is slower.
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He said he has sent his complaints to the Transportation Department’s inspector general and to the Office of Special Counsel, which investigates whistleblower charges. He said his recent demotion from his position as a front-line manager was related to his attempts to correct problems.
Union officials called Seeley’s assertions “wild’’ and “baseless.’’
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I won't be flying that airline.
