Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Top U.S. accident investigator says close calls between planes show that aviation is under stress

This image provided by the National Transportation Safety Board shows a screen grab from video shot from the JetBlue cockpit that captures the moment a Learjet operated by charter service Hop-A-Jet crossed the runway just in front of the JetBlue plane on Feb. 27, 2023, at Boston's Logan International Airport. (National Transportation Safety Board via AP) This image provided by the National Transportation Safety Board shows a screen grab from video shot from the JetBlue cockpit that captures the moment a Learjet operated by charter service Hop-A-Jet crossed the runway just in front of the JetBlue plane on Feb. 27, 2023, at Boston's Logan International Airport. (National Transportation Safety Board via AP)
Share
The nation's top accident investigator said Thursday that a surge in close calls between planes at U.S. airports this year is a "clear warning sign" that the aviation system is under stress.

"While these events are incredibly rare, our safety system is showing clear signs of strain that we cannot ignore," Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, told a Senate panel on Thursday.

Homendy warned that air traffic and staffing shortages have surged since the pandemic. She said there has been a "lack of meaningful" training -- and more reliance on computer-based instruction -- by the Federal Aviation Administration and airlines, and too many irregular work schedules among pilots and air traffic controllers.

"Where you end up with that is distraction, fatigue," she told the aviation subcommittee. "You are missing things, you are forgetting things."

The NTSB is investigating six close calls, or what aviation insiders call "runway incursions." The FAA identified 23 of the most serious types of close calls in the last fiscal year, which ended Oct. 1, up from 16 the year before and 11 a decade ago. Independent estimates suggest those figures grossly understate such incidents.

Thursday's hearing included only a momentary discussion of pilot mental health, which is on travellers' minds because of the arrest of an off-duty pilot accused of trying to disable a plane in midflight and a co-pilot who allegedly threatened to shoot the captain.

The hearing produced no new ideas for increasing safety but brought a new warning about the potential for travel disruptions over the upcoming holidays because the FAA doesn't have enough air traffic controllers.

"We are not healthier than we were last year, controller-wise," said Rich Santa, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. "I think FAA's own numbers indicate we have potentially six more air traffic controllers than we had last year."

The union president said many controllers are forced to work 10-hour days or six-day weeks.

The Transportation Department's inspector general criticized the FAA in a report this summer, saying the agency has made only "limited efforts" to fix a shortage at staffing at critical air traffic control centres.

Among the close calls in recent months, the scariest occurred in February in Austin, Texas. During poor visibility in the early morning hours, a FedEx cargo plane preparing to land flew over the top of a Southwest Airlines jet that was taking off. The NTSB has estimated that they came within about 100 feet of colliding.

An air traffic controller had cleared both planes to use the same runway. In other recent incidents, pilots appeared to be at fault.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

opinion

opinion How to make the most out of your TFSA

The Tax-Free Savings Account can be a powerful savings tool and investment vehicle. Financial contributor Christopher Liew explains how they work and how to take full advantage of them so you can reach your financial goals faster.

An Ottawa driver has been charged with stunt driving after being caught going 154 km/h on Highway 417, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

Local Spotlight

A tale about a taxicab hauling gold and sinking through the ice on Larder Lake, Ont., in December 1937 has captivated a man from that town for decades.

When a group of B.C. filmmakers set out on a small fishing boat near Powell River last week, they hoped to capture some video for a documentary on humpback whales. What happened next blew their minds.

A pizza chain in Edmonton claims to have the world's largest deliverable pizza.

Sarah McLachlan is returning to her hometown of Halifax in November.

Wayne MacKay is still playing basketball twice at Mount Allison University at 87 years old.

A man from a small rural Alberta town is making music that makes people laugh.

An Indigenous artist has a buyer-beware warning ahead of Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.

An ordinary day on the job delivering mail in East Elmwood quickly turned dramatic for Canada Post letter carrier Jared Plourde. A woman on his route was calling out in distress.

Stay Connected