FAA Airspace Redesign

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Senate tries to use passenger rights provisions to sweeten a $44Billion boondoggle.

*** MEDIA ALERT****

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Senate tries to use passenger rights provisions to sweeten a $44Billion boondoggle.

Contact: Our Airspace
Director Heather Wolf (917)355-6640
Contact@ourairspace.org

Dec 16 2009 New York-

Essential policy changes needed to protect passenger safety and flyers rights need to be raised immediately as stand alone legislation, not buried in a controversial bill which will waste taxpayer dollars, increase the deficit and erode environmental protections.

Rather than passing much needed stand-alone legislation immediately, Congress chose to embed some critical passenger rights and safety provisions in a massive spending bill which increases discretionary spending to 44 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration(FAA), an agency plagued by mismanagement, cost overruns, while failing to deliver on safety.

This Senate bill (S1451), and its House counterpart (H.R. 915 –passed 277-136) constitute the largest funding increase in the history of the FAA. Fast-tracking the bill does not allow congress the time to write in enough protections to stop fraud, abuse, mismanagement at the FAA nor addresses all of the longstanding safety issues the National Transportation Safety Bureau (NTSB) has raised.

“The Senate bill does include some useful provisions but it is months away from rectifying all longstanding critical safety hazards, and it does not safeguard taxpayer investment,“ said Heather Wolf, Director of Our Airspace, “lawmakers seeking to fast-track the legislation before the new year do so at an extreme disservice to the taxpayer and to the flying public.”

FAA FLIES FAST AND EASY WITH TAXPAYER DOLLARS

The FAA does not adhere to accounting standards according to governmental audits. Their multi-billion dollar high risk project Next Gen runs more than 10 years behind schedule, over budget by billions, and is being implemented without a cost benefit analysis according to a recent OIG audit.

The FAA is also currently under investigation by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation (OIG) over misuse of over 1 billion in Economic Stimulus Package funding supplied to the AIP program, which wins 12.3 Billion with the proposed legislation, a 3-fold increase.

“Now is no time to award FAA with a blank 44 billion dollar check,” says Wolf, “the Senate Finance Committee is rightly hesitant about fast-tracking this bill to the floor for passage before the new year.”

STAND-ALONE LEGISLATION IS NEEDED NOW

FAA must be made to significantly strengthen regulations on aircraft icing, pilot training, pilot and controller fatigue and bird strike. The FAA has been ignoring NTSB scientific findings for many years, even in the face of two recent commercial aviation disasters which were caused in part by the risks clearly outlined by the NTSB. Passengers also need rights. They should also not be held captive for hours or days without food and water on tarmacs. Congress must hold the FAA accountable.

“We urge congress to immediately pass critical safety and passenger rights as stand alone legislation, and stop fast-tracking S.1451 so that Congress can fully rectify many of the longstanding and unacceptable issues at the FAA.” said Wolf.

Read more information about FAA Safety, and the environment at http://www.ourairspace.org

REFERENCES & FURTHER READING BY TOPIC

Senate Bill Cost and overview
http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_1451.html
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-1451
House Bill (Passed in House mostly partisan)
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h915/show
http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=10096&sequence=0&from=6
OIG Audit of subcontractor Relationships
http://www.oig.dot.gov/StreamFile?file=/data/pdfdocs/av2002068.pdf
OIG Audit of FAA Accounting
http://www.oig.dot.gov/StreamFile?file=/data/pdfdocs/av1998113.pdf

Notice of FAA Accounting Audit Failure

http://www.eaa153.org/Apr07Newsletter.pdf
Governmental Oversight Audit of FAA Safety Failure
http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/broken_government/articles/entry/1021/
NTSB Reports on FAA Failure to address longstanding safety
http://www.ntsb.gov/aviation/aviation.htm
FAA failure on Icing
http://ourairspace.org/Risk-Icing.html
Hidden FAA Safety and Environmental Risks of Next Gen Procedures
http://ourairspace.org/cda.html

Monday, December 7, 2009

WABC NEWS uncovers unsafe Procedures at Newark Airport

(See below for Internet Links for documents discussed in this story.)
NEW JERSEY (WABC) -- Just when you thought it was safe to fly again, an Eyewitness News investigation uncovers dangerous flight procedures at Newark Airport. They are procedures that some say increase the risk of a crash.
A whistleblower's actions have lead to a startling new government report about near collisions. The air traffic controller knew the landing procedures were unsafe, and he wasn't going to stop fighting to get them changed even if it risked his career.
He believed there were lives at stake. It appears now that he was right.
Newark air traffic controller Ray Adams knew instinctively that landing planes on intersecting runways at the same time carried enormous risks, but when the FAA failed to agree, he turned to Eyewitness News to make his case.
"All we're asking for is the FAA to assist us in doing our jobs," he said. "It's our mandate to keep airplanes from colliding."
The two separate landing procedures continued at Newark, as did the close calls.
"I'd say it was real close," air traffic controller Phil Wagner said. "The closest I've ever seen."
Wagner will never forget the day he nearly witnessed two commercial jets collide as they prepared to land on intersecting runways at Newark. Strong winds forced one of the planes to abort its landing, sending it directly into the path of a passenger filled jet landing on the other runway.
"They are heading right for each other at that point," Wagner said.
Fearing the worst, Adams refused to give up. He says the FAA, more focused on capacity than safety, tried to silence him.
"They tried to silence me a couple of different ways," he said. "They made the environment hostile at the control tower for me. They removed me from the building for awhile."
He is finally finding vindication in a just-released Department of Transportation Inspector General investigation. It confirms that the landing on intersecting runways at Newark airport can create "unnecessary flight hazards." The Inspector General also faults the FAA for being "slow to respond."
"The FAA was very slow to respond to Ray Adams, who has been dogged to prevent catastrophe that could have killed hundreds, if not thousands," said New Jersey Congressman Chris Smith.
In response to the Inspector General report, the FAA stopped the one landing procedure immediately.. On the other runway, landings are now staggered, but the Office of Special Counsel, which also investigated the matter, blasted the FAA for not going far enough and for allowing "a potential danger to the flying public to persist."
Adams isn't surprised.
"I've learned that change isn't easy to make in the FAA," he said.
The FAA says besides staggering planes on approach, and it also plans to add an automated system that will help air traffic controllers separate planes operating on intersecting runways. The agency plans to start that up on December 14th.
If you have a tip about this or any other issue you'd like investigated, please give our tipline a call at 877-TIP-NEWS. You may also e-mail us at the.investigators@abc.com and follow Jim Hoffer on Twitter at twitter.com/jphoffer. <https://twitter.com/jphoffer>
(Copyright ©2009 WABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
OSC Press Statement: http://www.osc.gov/documents/press/2009/pr09_21.pdf
DOT 11/29 Audit: http://www.osc.gov/FY2010/Scanned/DI-07%20DI-08-2225/DI-08-2225%20Agency%20Report%20(Part%201).pdf
DOT Adams Letter: http://www.osc.gov/FY2010/Scanned/DI-07%20DI-08-2225/DI-08-2225%20Agency%20Report%20(Part%202).pdf
Adams/Congressional Letters RE 11/29 Safety: http://www.osc.gov/FY2010/Scanned/DI-07%20DI-08-2225/DI-08-2225%20WB%20comments.pdf
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Jim Hoffer <http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/bio?section=resources/inside_station/newsteam&id=5771941>
More: Bio <http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/bio?section=resources/inside_station/newsteam&id=5771941> , 7online.com News Team <http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/newsteam> , Twitter <http://twitter.com/jphoffer>
Internet Link For Video: http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/investigators&id=7137084 <http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/investigators&id=7137084> <http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/investigators&id=7137084>

Friday, November 6, 2009

FAA Subcontractor Metron Aviation Fires Employee for Fixing Flight Delay

The FAA subcontracts private corporations with controversial projects in order to insulate themselves from onerous tasks such as Environmental Impact Analysis, noise and flight delay modeling and to secure exemptions from the Freedom of Information Act.

Metron Aviation is one such company with a federally tax payer funded multi-million dollar contract with the FAA. Metron Aviation is being paid to find a solution to flight delay, and yet they just fired an employee for trying to solve flight delay.

Metron was tasked with completing noise and air traffic modeling for the airspace redesign in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. The noise modeling used by the FAA then became subject of a landmark multi-million dollar lawsuit in 5 states which is still in litigation before the Supreme Court.

According to their website Metron Aviation is a private corporation staffed with mostly Ex FAA, ex-NASA and ex-MITRE officials and their client list looks fairly limited to government contracts.

This issue requires congressional oversight. GAO and OIG need to review FAA subcontracts and examine accountability, transparency and partnerships which may be impacting performance goals.

PR below:

NAPA, Calif., Nov. 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Accused whistler-blower Dr. Frederick J. Foreman, former Senior Analyst for Metron Aviation Inc. (an aviation consulting company with numerous government contracts), who was fired for allegedly revealing critical information regarding airline passenger safety to Kate Hanni of the Flyers' Rights coalition, has joined forces with the volunteer organization.
Dr. Foreman, an MIT graduate and former professor at Florida A&M and Florida State Universities, was terminated from his job on September 25th of this year after contacting Kate Hanni regarding excessive surface delays. Foreman maintains that any information he sent Hanni was public data he collected from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Hanni, who founded the Flyers' Rights Organization after being stuck on the tarmac for nine hours in December of 2006, had been exchanging information regarding airport strandings with Dr. Foreman in order to find solutions, both for the flying public as well as Metron Aviation. Dr. Foreman asserts that he was unaware he was in violation of any laws or rules of the company.

Dr. Foreman claims that he not only was unlawfully terminated, but he and his family's private e-mails were illegally hacked. Foreman and his wife are presently considering legal action against Metron Aviation, Inc. and Delta Airlines. Meanwhile, an incensed Foreman is now dedicating his time and resources to solving increased safety and delay problems associated with flying by volunteering as Research Director for the Flyers' Rights Organization, the largest airline, passenger rights group in existence.
Dr. Foreman, the world's leading expert on surface delays and airspace redesign, is the owner and CEO of Mathematical Modeling Inc. (MMI), a company dedicated to providing information technology and data security. The former NASA Graduate Fellow and first African-American to be awarded a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Florida A&M University, is a distinguished scientist and engineer who has received over 23 awards, 50-plus patents for his inventions, and numerous distinctions over his 34-year career.
SOURCE FlyersRights.org

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

GAO / OIG Uncovers inept FAA failing on Next Gen Implementation

Your Reps in Washington need to closely examine the two GAO reports on the FAA and ARC before they throw their support behind a massive funding increases for investment in the what now seems an extensive boondoggle called Next Gen. The FAA is failing on a large scale according to the New Studies.

Your Reps will suffer a great political liability by voting in favor of FAA Funding Authorization after reading these GAO reports. Major restructuring in the FAA is needed before Congress signs a legendary taxpayer funded check for the greatest funding increase in the history of the Agency.

Here is the GAO report Summary:

Next Generation Air Transportation System: FAA Faces Challenges in Responding to Task Force Recommendations
GAO-10-188T October 28, 2009

Internet Link: http://gaonet.gov/products/GAO-10-188T

Actions Needed to Meet Expectations for the Next Generation Air Transportation System in the Mid–Term

Date: October 28, 2009

Type: Testimony

Project ID:

CC-2010-001
Internet Link: http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2557

Summary:

On October 28, 2009, the Inspector General testified before the House Subcommittee on Aviation regarding FAA actions required to address the recommendations of a joint Government/Industry task force report for achieving mid–term goals for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen).

The Inspector General noted that NextGen is a high risk effort and a top management challenge for the Department and FAA. A number of operational and management decisions must be addressed to successfully transition to NextGen and address the task force’s recommendations. These include maximizing the benefits of performance based navigation initiatives and managing NextGen efforts as integrated portfolios of investments. The Inspector General noted that the findings of the task force are consistent with our work but also identified several new areas for FAA’s attention.

To move beyond endorsing the task force’s recommendations, the Inspector General stated that FAA must set realistic expectations for NextGen. Specifically, FAA must: (1) develop plans to initiate action and establish a 5–year funding profile for the NextGen mid–term, (2) establish metrics for assessing and measuring progress, and (3) develop and implement a strategy for linking near– and mid–term efforts with the Agency’s long–term plans for transforming the National Airspace System.

GAO/ OIG publishes damning report on Aviation Rulemaking Committee 77 initatives to reduce delays in NYC

OIG Audit On NY Aviation Rulemaking Committee Delay Initiatives- FAILING

Status of the Aviation Rulemaking Committee’s 77 Initiatives for Reducing Delays in the New York Area

Date: October 21, 2009

Type: Audit

Project ID: AV-2010-003
Internet Site: http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2556

Summary:

On October 21, 2009, we issued our report on FAA’s actions to implement 77 initiatives of the New York Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC). We conducted this audit at the request of the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Aviation, who expressed the Subcommittee’s concern about the effectiveness of delay–reduction efforts at the New York airports. Our audit objective was to examine FAA’s progress in implementing the 77 ARC initiatives.

We found that, while FAA reported many of these initiatives as complete, most are not being used or are used infrequently due to limited tactical need, operational and technical problems, unfinished testing, and controller/airline issues. Other initiatives face challenges, such as special equipment and training requirements or litigation, or are part of nationwide FAA programs that will not be completed until 2012 or later. While FAA has begun addressing these issues, much work remains to be done.

We recommended that FAA (1) assess completed and remaining initiatives to determine whether they are providing benefits or should be discontinued or re–categorized, (2) resolve technical, operational, and controller/airline issues affecting many of the initiatives reported as completed, and (3) fully operationalize the Integration Office’s NY Area Delay Reduction Plan and Schedule. FAA generally concurred with our recommendations.

Our Airspace is reviewing this report and recommendations