Apparently over the weekend there was a close call between two aircraft at JFK airport in New York. The air traffic controllers can be heard on tape telling a pilot to turn immediately, later reporting that two planes were with 100 feet of each other.
The FAA denies it and I just listened to an interview with an FAA spokesman saying that the radar tapes show the planes were something like a half a mile apart and nowhere near danger. No word yet from the pilots, but it seems they should be able to clear things up since the surely would have seen another plan 100 feet away.
Anyway, the thing that immediately came to mind when the FAA spokesperson kept talking about the tapes was – could there have been a software problem which resulted in the air controller’s screens showing a 100′ gap between planes, when in fact there was no issue at all? Or, is it just more likely that the FAA and airlines don’t want to admit it happened? It’ll be interesting to see how it unfolds.
The Johnson Blog 
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4 responses to “FAA and Air Traffic Controllers at JFK”
99% of what comes out of the FAA spokesmodel’s mouth is pure BS. Controllers don’t call a loss of seperation if there isn’t one. What used to be an investigation to enhance safety has become a way to discipline controllers for being human. As you can see by my “name”, I’m retired. I left the day I was eligible. There are fewer controllers and more airplanes.
Your computer glitch theory doesn’t hold water, as the controller used his eyes, looking out the window, to avert disaster.
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Ah, I must have missed the part where the controller looked out the window.
I figured what the FAA guy was saying was crap, he then continued to “hint” that maybe the controller was saying this because of some labor dispute. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, it’s pretty low to say that a group of professionals (who have thousands upon thousands of lives in their hands) would stoop so low as to use these people as pawns.
Thanks for commenting.
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Hi!! my name is Raunell Liriano im a 22 years old I live in Florida, im very interesting on the job offer to become an air-traffic controller in New York, i found the article on the New york post. please if you can send me all the information about the offer, and if i need to move to New York I will.
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This may surprise you, Raunell, but your best bet may be to contact the FAA instead of some random person with a blog on the internet.
Just a hunch.
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