UNCATEGORIZED

NTSB: Controller nearly caused midair collision

Jan 19, 2012, 12:34 AM

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) – An air traffic controller with a history of disciplinary problems nearly caused a midair collision between a regional airliner and a small plane last year, the National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday.

A regional jet operated by ExpressJet and a single-engine Cessna came within 300 feet of colliding after they were cleared to take off on intersecting runways at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport in Mississippi on June 19, according to NTSB officials and documents released by the board.

There were 53 passengers and crew aboard the regional jet, an Embraer ER145. A student pilot, accompanied by a flight instructor, was flying the Cessna 172.

Airport tower controller Robert Beck first cleared the Cessna to take off on runway 18, according to the documents. About 16 seconds later, Beck cleared the regional jet, Continental Express Flight 2555, to take off on runway 14, which crosses runway 18. No warning was issued to either pilot about the other plane even though another controller who heard the takeoff clearances told investigators he shouted a warning to Beck, “You’ve got two rolling!”

Both planes were at the same altitude, about 300 feet above the airport, when they passed within 300 feet laterally of each other. As the planes passed, the ExpressJet captain exclaimed to his co-pilot: “Wow, that was close.” One air traffic manager told investigators, “It was a miracle that no one died,” according to an NTSB summary of investigators’ interviews.

The airliner was bound for Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport, where it landed uneventfully. The plane was operated for Continental before it fully merged its operations with United Airlines.

Afterward, air traffic officials told investigators Beck had “a history of professional deficiencies that included taking shortcuts with phraseology and not complying with standard checklist procedures,” the documents said.

Beck, a controller for 23 years, also had been suspended several times within the last five years for tardiness, absenteeism and failure to report an arrest for driving under the influence. Beck also had been removed from duties training less experienced controllers after a trainee complained that “Mr. Beck was in the back of the room with his feet up and eyes closed” while conducting training sessions, the documents said.

The Associated Press was unable to reach Beck by telephone for comment.

Beck is still an air traffic controller at the Gulfport airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, which operates the nation’s air traffic control system.

“The FAA made management changes at Gulfport following the incident in June and suspended and decertified the controller involved. The controller was retrained and has been recertified,” the agency said in a statement.

The NTSB has elevated air traffic controller and pilot professionalism to its list of top safety concerns in response to a series of incidents over the past several years, including a 2009 accident in which a controller in New Jersey was talking on the phone to a friend about barbecuing a dead cat when a small plane he had handled collided with an air tour helicopter, killing nine people.

“The lack of focus in this near midair collision (in Mississippi) between a commercial jet and a small private plane is a reminder that a single mistake can have potentially catastrophic consequences,” NTSB Chairwoman Deborah Hersman said in a statement.

“While most individuals in the aviation industry are focused and professional, events like these continue to occur, which means there’s still more work to be done to ensure that air travel is as safe as possible,” she said.

Last spring, FAA officials instituted several changes in the scheduling of air traffic controllers after several controllers were caught sleeping on duty or, in one case, watching a movie.

Doug Church, a spokesman for the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said the union takes incidents like the near-collision in Mississippi “very seriously.”

“We welcome the examination of this incident by federal officials and plan to work with the FAA to continue to improve the safety of our aviation system,” Church said.

___

Online:

National Transportation Safety Board
http://www.ntsb.gov

Federal Aviation Administration
http://www.faa.gov

___

Follow Joan Lowy at
http://www.twitter.com/AP_Joan_Lowy

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Uncategorized

dental equipment...

KTAR.com

Volunteers sought for free dental care clinic at Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum

A local foundation is seeking more than a thousand volunteers to assist with the Arizona Dental Mission of Mercy December 8 and 9.

29 days ago

(Pexels Photo)...

Associated Press

States have lost millions of dollars to fight and treat STDs

State and local health departments across the U.S found out in June they’d be losing the final two years of a $1 billion investment to strengthen the ranks of people who track and try to prevent sexually transmitted diseases — especially the rapid increase of syphilis cases.

1 month ago

Pennsylvania election...

Associated Press

How one swing-state county is trying to recover from high elections staff turnover

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (AP) — The polls had just opened for last year’s midterms in Pennsylvania when the phones began ringing at the election office in Luzerne County. Polling places were running low on paper to print ballots. Volunteers were frustrated, and voters were getting agitated. Emily Cook, the office’s interim deputy director who had been […]

2 months ago

(Pexels Photo)...

Kim Komando

Tips for your internet browser if it’s slowing down to a crawl

The internet browser is one of the most frequently-used applications on your computer. But it can get slowed down from tools and extensions.

2 months ago

City of Tempe/Facebook photo...

Stephen Gugliociello

Tempe to convert cooling center to city resource center

The city will begin repurposing its cooling center at EnVision Center starting Saturday as a site to help residents with a variety of needs.

2 months ago

Photo provided by Lego...

Stephen Gugliociello

Legoland in Tempe offers Halloween-themed events for kids

Children of the Valley can start building toward Halloween on Sunday. Legoland in Tempe is hosting a variety of events for all of October. 

2 months ago

Sponsored Articles

(KTAR News Graphic)...

KTAR launches online holiday auction benefitting Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley

KTAR is teaming up with The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley for a holiday auction benefitting thousands of Valley kids.

...

Desert Institute for Spine Care

Desert Institute for Spine Care (DISC) wants to help Valley residents address back, neck issues through awake spine surgery

As the weather begins to change, those with back issues can no longer rely on the dry heat to aid their backs. That's where DISC comes in.

...

SCHWARTZ LASER EYE CENTER

Key dates for Arizona sports fans to look forward to this fall

Fall brings new beginnings in different ways for Arizona’s professional sports teams like the Cardinals and Coyotes.

NTSB: Controller nearly caused midair collision