Air traffic control staffing ‘not normal’ during DC accident – Officer
The air traffic control staffing was “not normal” at the time of a mid-host collision between a military helicopter and passenger aircraft at Washington DC, which killed 67 people, transport secretary Sean Dafi.
US media said that according to a government report, the Reagan National Airport Tower was understood during Wednesday’s accident.
An air traffic control worker was managing helicopters and some airport aircraft, normally done by two people, two sources told CBS News, BBC’s US News Partner.
When asked about the report during the Fox News interview on Sunday, Dafi said, “I will take Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to his promise that it was not normal.”
Dafi said “It was part of the review process that we have to do”.
He told that “air traffic controllers had a consolidation one hour before the time of this accident. And therefore, what was his suitability?”
Dafi raised questions about whether the controllers “appropriately corresponds to the processes in FAA”, as well as the height of the helicopter.
The CBS said that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Board member Tod Inman said the initial data showed that the helicopter was flying at about 200 feet. The flight roof for helicopters in the area near Reagan National Airport is 200 feet.
Dafi also questioned at the time of his flight.
“Why would they really blow a mission at nine o’clock in the night through busy air space … as opposed to blowing that mission at one o’clock in the morning, when there was very little traffic,”? He asked.
“I want our army to be trained and ready to go, but I also want the air passengers to be safe, and there is a time and a place, which is not nine o’clock in the night when there is heavy traffic. Is. “
NTSB officials said on Thursday that investigators are considering several factors, including height, in determining the cause of the accident, but have not yet drawn any public conclusions.
There were 64 passengers on the American Airlines flight, when it collided with an army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers. No one was left.
Dafi said that America has an old sensible problem in air traffic control.
US media has reported that more than 90% of air traffic control facilities in the country are working below FAA recommended staffing levels.
Dafi said, “We did not have enough air traffic controllers in the US for a very long time.” We have in the system. ,
The new Transport Secretary said that he was working with FAA to train new air traffic controllers and “a plan that is going to come out to fix the problem, but the issue is that you flip a switch to a switch Can not get air traffic controllers tomorrow. “
