Errors by air traffic controllers increased a record 51% this past fiscal year, according to a report in The Washington Post. The newspaper said this increase represents only a portion of the errors, as not all mistakes are recorded. For three years the FAA has encouraged controllers to voluntarily report errors and be shielded from punitive action.
The Post reported there were 1,869 operational errors reported last year, with 333 listed as “more-serious category A or B” mistakes.
I am impressed! 333 errors translates to only one per day for the entire system! When one considers the pilot error rate, well…
I thought the private sector did everything better than the government? 🙂 my home tower has contracted controllers and they do a superb job. Although, I’m sure everyone would say that about their local tower.
I wonder what the breakdown is between FAA and contract controllers, and radar vs. tower.
I think these increased errors are a result of more and more of these positions being taken over by civilian contract versus government employees.