Air traffic control

“ UAP pose a safety of flight and collision hazard to air assets, potentially requiring aircraft operators to adjust flight patterns in response to their unauthorized presence in the airspace, operating outside of air traffic control standards and instruction. ”

“ The safety issues in this report focus on flight crew performance, approach procedures, and pilot training; air traffic control, including controller performance and the intentional inhibition of the MSAW system at Guam ”

“ Develop a mandatory briefing item for all air traffic controllers and air traffic control (ATC) managers, describing the circumstances surrounding the performance of the Combined Center/Radar Approach Control controller in this accident to reinforce the importance of following ATC procedures.
7. Require that all air carrier airplanes that have been equipped with on-board navigational systems capable of providing vertical flightpath guidance make use of these systems for flying nonprecision approaches whenever terrain factors allow a constant angle of descent with a safe gradient. ”

“ It's an enormously, enormously important issue for those of us who are involved in the aviation safety business to be dealing with, and it's something that I personallyspend a great deal of my time working on and something that the industry I think is more and more focusing on as one of the real places where we can make gains in safety.
So, we'll be talking here about a number of issues that relate to controlled-flight-into-terrain. These include issues that can be dealt with by airlines, by air traffic control authorities, by equipment manufacturers. ”

“ The basic responsibility of Airway Traffic Control is to prevent aerial collisions between aircraft operating under instrument conditions. Decisions on whether a flight is advisable, or may be made with safety, under the weather conditions existing are the responsibility of the pilot and the air carrier dispatcher. Notwithstanding this, Airway Traffic Control suggested to the United dispatcher that he advise Captain Scott that an air carrier airplane which has preceded him had accumulated an inch and a half of ice while coming through the overcast. ”

“ However, you need the data for these sorts of reasons. For instance, at congested airports these days, aircraft are being squeezed in to maximize capacity with minimum separation between airplanes. It is possible that by monitoring go-around rates, you may find a problem at one particular airfield. That may need a discussion with air traffic control to refine their procedures.
Another benefit could be not just the numbers of go-arounds but how are they performed. We all know that in the simulator on proficiency checks, pilots perform the required maneuvers well. They have to. ”

“ I've been employed by the Federal Aviation Administration in air traffic control for 27 years. I held journeyman air traffic control positions in three FAA terminals, held later post of training specialist, first-line supervisor, was manager of two air traffic facilities, including the tower in Newark, New Jersey. ”

“ Our controllers do a great job with the technology they have, but all the flight delays and inefficiencies still cost our economy $25 billion every single year. We're proposing to move our air traffic control system to a new self-financing non-profit organization. ”

“ THE WITNESS: I'm an air -- I'm an air traffic control specialist.
MR. SCHLEEDE: And how long have you worked as air traffic specialist?
THE WITNESS: 19 and a half years.
MR. SCHLEEDE: Could you provide us a brief summary of your training and experience that qualifies you for your present position?
THE WITNESS: I started my career as an air traffic controller in 1978 with the United States Navy. I was assigned to the Naval Air Station, Cubie Point in the Philippines where I was qualified as a full performance level controller in the radar approach control as well as the control tower. ”

“ An approach wherein an aircraft on an IFR flight plan, operating in VFR conditions and having received an Air Traffic Control authorization, may deviate from the prescribed instrument approach procedures and proceed to the airport of destination by visual reference to the surface. ”

“ A Backup Air Traffic Control Centre/Tower constructed to the north of the ATCX is available for operational use in the event normal services provided in the ATCX are disrupted by unforeseen circumstances. ”

“ I have 27 years of experienceair traffic control, including six operational air traffic control facilities both in the en route and the terminal environment, positions as a supervisor, staff support specialist, Washington headquarters and regional. ”

“ The facility managers were directed to ensure, within 2 weeks after the receipt of the memorandum, that all operational personnel were briefed on the requirements of FAA Order 7110.65, "Air Traffic Control," paragraph 2-1-1, "Duty Priority;" 2-1-6, "Safety Alerts;" and 5-15-57, "Inhibiting Minimum Safe Altitude Warnings (MSAW) ." All operational personnel were also expected to be briefed on the actions to be taken when controllers are alerted by the MSAW of an aircraft's proximity to terrain. ”

“ We will be focusing on air traffic control, we will be focusing on training, we will be focusing on airline cultures, we will be focusing onnew technology which will hopefully let us deal with this issue. ”

“ Air traffic controllers are not trained in its use, and indeed there is some degree of air traffic resistance because, remember, MSAW, an alert, could indicate that the air traffic controller made a mistake, and there are some therefore cultural or punishment issues associated with that alert, which are natural inhibitors to adoption. ”

“ Everything will be okay. If you try to make any moves, you'll endanger yourself and the airplane. Just stay quiet."Air traffic controllers heard the transmission; Ong did not.The hijackers probably did not know how to operate the cockpit radio communication system correctly, and thus inadvertently broadcast their message over the air traffic control channel instead of the cabin public-address channel. ”

“ Thus, Trip 21 was cleared by the Cleveland center to the Cleveland control boundary and by the Chicago center from that point. Airway Traffic Control does not contact air carrier airplanes directly. All communications are transmitted through the medium of company radio stations which are connected with Airway Traffic Control centers by interphone. ↑ When an aircraft arrives over an airport under instrument conditions and there is other traffic also operating in that area preparing to land at the airport, Airway Traffic Contral assigns each aircraft an approach number. ”

“ Before flying on a civil airway under instrument weather conditions approval must be secured from Airway Traffic Control for the flight, including the altitude at which it is to be flown. ↑ Airport control towers are erected and maintained by municipalities at various municipal airports for the purpose of regulating the flow of air traffic in the vicinity of the airport, in order to eliminate the possibility of collision between aircraft. ”

“ Traffic control. — For some time prior to the accident air traffic had been very congested in the vicinity of Floyd Bennett Field. There were about 125 airplanes based at the field and these included many different makes of varying weights and horsepower — Lockheeds, Stinsons, Wacos, Luscombes, and Piper Cubs. Six approved civilian flying schools were operating at the field and they employed a total of 34 airplanes in their instruction work. Naval Reserve and Marine Reserve squadrons were also training at the field. ”

“ From the evidence, it is clear that all air navigation facilities operated and maintained by the Civil Aeronautics Administration, including the radio range, airport localizer, radio broadcast and teletype equipment, approach lights, and marker beacons were operating normally at all times during the afternoon of the crash. The Airway Traffic Control personnel of the Civil Aeronautics Administration at Chicago handled the flight with marked diligence and efficiency. ”

“ The Safety Board also found during the investigation that the post-accident emergency response to the accident site was delayed several minutes because the air traffic -- because the air traffic controller was not immediately aware that Flight 801 had crashed off the airport. ”

“ I think many of us take that for granted, but I believe air traffic controllers need to have more knowledge in that area. They need to understand the stabilized approach procedure and what it means to us as pilots when they ask us to fly at certain speeds to certain short distances from touchdown.
They need to improve their awareness of GPWS performance and radar vectoring in the vicinity of terrain. They also, I think, need to have education in terms of operation at low temperatures or high winds when operating at low altitude in the vicinity of terrain. ”

“ For example, the Federal Aviation Administration is working in partnership with the airline industry, pilots, technicians, and air traffic controllers to use improved forecasting and new communications technology to detect severe weather sooner, to let pilots and passengers know promptly about anticipated delays, and to centralize air traffic decisionmaking during severe storms in order to reduce delays. ”

“ We would not have been unless we were alerted by facility personnel. Software in --in the automation systems used by air traffic controllers, quality assurance is assured through configuration management, and I have no -- neither the expertise nor the methodology to go in and check those systems. ”

“ No attempt is made by either the Senate bill or the House amendment to fully define the various classes of rules that would fall within the scope of air traffic traffic rules, as, for instance, lights and signals along airways and at air-ports and upon emergency landing fields. ”

“ By degrees, as air-traffic grows, new laws and regulations will need to be applied. But at present, save for restrictions such as have been cited, an aerial tourist wings unfettered flight. The motorist has a speed limit of 20 miles; but the airman, 3000 feet aloft, has none; and, save for certain areas out of bounds, the sky is free wherever he may fly. ”

“ If the Guam Tower controller theoretically had used the D-BRITE facility in your judgment -- I'm not sure if we're asking the right person -- but would this have been a breach of FAA regulations since it was not commissioned? And if that's not a fair question, you don't have to answer it.
THE WITNESS: I -- I would respond and say that -- that we do not allow the use of non-certified air traffic equipment as -- as we wouldn't allow someone to fly a non-certified aircraft. ”

“ The FAA's primary mission is to ensure the safety, security, and efficiency of the National Airspace System. The purpose of this order is to enhance that mission and further improve the delivery of air traffic services to the American public by reorganizing the FAA's air traffic services and related offices into a performance-based, results-oriented, organization. ”

“ Unless some startling innovation—a much cheaper fuel for example, or a successful helicopter—revolutionizes commercial aviation, its near-future is unlikely to stray beyond the extension of airways over distances of about five hundred to two thousand miles. These are likely to be covered mostly by heavier-than-air craft, although, as in Germany, dirigibles will have their place.
Extension of air traffic is especially probable in industrial and agricultural countries of large area, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, India and the South American republics. ”

“ A matter which is easier, and for which straightforward ruling may be framed, concerns the navigation of craft upon the airway. At present, with comparatively few machines, there is no great need for any code of rules: one pilot, should he sight another, can easily steer clear. But as the air becomes peopled, and there are streams of traffic between landing grounds, it will be very necessary to have a scheme of rules—rules, say, for meeting and passing, and for flying by day or night. ”

“ In addition, while it is the usual Airway Traffic Control procedure to bring aircraft into an airport by stepping them down through 1000-foot levels, Airway Traffic Control varied this procedure in the case of United 21 in order to avoid holding the trip in icing conditions while awaiting a clearance to land. Captain Scott was told to hold at 6000 feet until Airway Traffic Control could give the trip an approach clearance so that it might descend through the overcast as rapidly as possible. ”

“ At the peak of the traffic, as many as 1,000 persons moved through the inspection lanes each hour. Fifteen years earlier—in the postwar years—only a handful of officers was needed to handle the international air traffic. ”

“ We realized that there is -- there is the potential for being too close to topics being employed in the same organization. However, we feel that that is more than adequately balanced by the fact that we can maintain a work force of fresh, current people who are -- are capable of evaluating today's current issues in air traffic. ”

“ And passing constantly along these routes will be a volume of air-borne traffic—neat, privately owned planes; large and speedy passenger machines; multi-winged craft for the transport of goods; and here and there, flying swiftly and high, some slim-built war machine. Upon the land in the day-time, to indicate the direction of the airways, will be signs which may be read from high aloft; while at night, from signal towers, will flash forth lights, differing in the frequency and the colour of the beams they throw skyward, to guide the airman on his path. ”

“ No change in an approved flight plan shall be made without the prior approval of the airway traffic control center concerned, unless an emergency situation arises which requires immediate decision and action or unless weather conditions make it necessary for the pilot to effect change in order to continue flight in accordance with contact flight rules ”