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 Construction work at the field had changed the regular taxiway and runway layout, but the crew’s information was outdated.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 highlighted failures in FAA airport information dissemination and air traffic control staffing, including an understaffed tower and outdated runway/taxiway information for the crew due to construction.
- Following the incident, the FAA issued an advisory to airport operators to improve the timely dissemination of construction and closure information, acknowledging the inadequacy of the NOTAM system.
- The FAA recommended that airport operators use computers to create timely graphic notices, distributed via websites or email, to provide air crews with current information on airport changes.
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