The Comair crash in Lexington, Ky., raised questions about the FAA’s dissemination of airport information and its staffing of air traffic control towers. The tower at Blue Grass Airport had only one controller, instead of the required two, on duty that morning. Construction work at the field had changed the regular taxiway and runway layout, but the crew’s information was outdated. The FAA last week issued an advisory to airport operators, asking them to disseminate better information about closures and construction. “Air crews may have a hard time keeping up with these changes as they occur,” the FAA said. “In many cases, the NOTAM system may be inadequate.” [more] The FAA said operators should use computers to create graphic notices on a timely basis, which can be distributed to airport users via a Web site or e-mail.
Air Safety Concerns Linger
Key Takeaways:
- The Comair crash in Lexington exposed critical failures in FAA's information dissemination and air traffic control staffing, including an understaffed tower and outdated runway/taxiway information provided to the crew.
- Construction at Blue Grass Airport and an inadequate NOTAM system contributed to crews receiving incorrect or incomplete updates on airport changes.
- The FAA subsequently advised airport operators to improve information sharing by using computers to create and distribute timely graphic notices via websites or email.
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