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U.S. Office of Special Counsel
1730 M Street, N.W., Suite 218
Washington, D.C. 20036-4505
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U.S. OFFICE OF SPECIAL COUNSEL TRANSMITS REPORT OF COVER-UP OF
OPERATIONAL ERRORS BY FAA PERSONNEL AT DALLAS FORT WORTH AIRPORT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 6/23/05
CONTACT: CATHY DEEDS, 202-254-3607,
cdeeds@osc.gov
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Office of Special Counsel
(OSC) today transmitted a report to the President and Congress detailing
findings and recommendations regarding allegations of a substantial and specific
danger to public safety. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is charged
with moving America safely, but a Department of Transportation report confirms
that air traffic personnel systematically covered up operational errors at
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) for seven years, thereby
jeopardizing air traffic safety.
The whistleblower, Anne R. Whiteman, an 18-year
air traffic controller at DFW, alleged that air traffic controllers and
management at the DFW Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) routinely covered
up serious operational errors and deviations involving aircraft. She disclosed
to OSC that many incidents involving aircraft flying too close to each other, on
average once a month, were often neither reported nor investigated, in violation
of FAA’s Air Traffic Quality Assurance Order. This was a substantial and
specific danger to public safety. Ms. Whiteman also described two specific
incidents which should have been reported and provided data reflecting
operational errors.
The Department of Transportation Office of
Inspector General (DOT OIG) investigated and substantiated Ms. Whiteman’s
allegations. Their March 2005 report revealed an improper management practice in
place for seven years that was responsible for underreporting and the failure to
investigate operational errors. The DOT OIG concluded that the cover-ups,
whether due to management policy or whether they occur on an incidental basis,
represent safety deficiencies and undermine the public’s confidence in the air
traffic control system.
Under FAA policy, employees are supposed to
report potential errors to the supervisor or controller-in-charge for
investigation. The OIG found, however, that the language of the Quality
Assurance Order was ambiguous on the requirement about use of playback equipment
used to investigate suspected operational errors.
Under DFW TRACON policy, investigation of
suspected operational errors was limited to asking the controller involved
whether separation had been lost. Under this honor system, if the controller
responded in the negative, no further investigation was done. Only if the
controller acknowledged a loss, or possible loss of separation, were the
playback tools used to review the incident and determine whether an operational
error occurred. This local policy ran counter to FAA national policy and
resulted in significant underreporting of operational errors.
A number of corrective actions were taken as a
result of DOT’s investigation. DFW’s Air Traffic Manager issued a memorandum
directing the immediate use of playback tools to investigate all suspected
operational errors to correct DFW’s improper practice, and bring the facility in
compliance with FAA national policy. DFW has been placed in a “no notice review”
status for two years. FAA reassigned the facility quality assurance manager and
selected a replacement. The facility manager, operations managers and
supervisors were placed on Opportunity to Demonstrate Performance (ODP) status
for failing to abide by FAA national policy on operational errors. Individual
controllers were given training and placed on ODPs for failing to self-report
errors, and one controller was decertified for committing a previously
unreported operational error.
The Special Counsel determined that the agency’s
report contains all the information required by statute and the agency’s
findings appear to be reasonable.
Special Counsel Scott J. Bloch said, “It may be
hard for the public to appreciate how difficult it is for whistleblowers to
report wrongdoing in the government. Ms. Whiteman should be commended for
bringing to light these serious operational errors that threaten our very air
safety and security. Indeed, the system that protects our air service depends on
the reporting of operational errors. There may have been incentives at FAA to
underreport these errors, and now as a result of this disclosure, we hope those
incentives have been or will be eliminated nationwide.”
OSC
Analysis of DOT OIG Report
OSC Transmittal Letter to the President
***
The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) is an independent
investigative and prosecutorial agency and operates as a secure channel for
disclosures of whistleblower complaints. Its primary mission is to safeguard
the merit system in federal employment by protecting federal employees and
applicants from prohibited personnel practices, especially retaliation for
whistleblowing. OSC also has jurisdiction over the Hatch Act and the
Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. For more
information please visit our web site at www.osc.gov or call 1-800-872-9855.
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