Flight Safety Information April 15, 2011 - No. 077 In This Issue FAA official out amid sleeping-on-the-job cases Traffic Congestion May Have Led to JFK Crash FAA Struggles to Define Progress on Pilot IDs without TSA Input Records: Many air controllers are at risk of sleep, errors Russia plans to bring air safety to world standards OSHA cites Bush airport train operator over fatality V Australia grounds 777 after engine problem aborts take-off Three-way airprox over Italy followed slack ATC handover New ATC System Ready For Nationwide Use, FAA Says FAA chief orders "top to bottom" review of air traffic control system PAMA Names New President FAA official out amid sleeping-on-the-job cases Air traffic chief resigns The FAA is placing an extra overnight shift controller at several locations Washington (CNN) -- The Federal Aviation Administration official in charge of operating the air traffic control system has resigned amid revelations that several controllers have fallen asleep on the job this year, the FAA chief said Thursday Stepping down is Hank Krakowski, who has been the head of the FAA Air Traffic Organization. David Grizzle, the FAA's chief counsel, will be the acting chief of the unit during a search to fill the post, according to Randy Babbitt, the agency's administrator. "Over the last few weeks we have seen examples of unprofessional conduct on the part of a few individuals that have rightly caused the traveling public to question our ability to ensure their safety. This conduct must stop immediately," Babbitt said in a written statement. "I am committed to maintaining the highest level of public confidence and that begins with strong leadership," he said. The development came after another air traffic controller apparently fell asleep while on duty, the sixth such incident this year that the FAA has disclosed. The latest incident occurred Wednesday morning at Reno-Tahoe International Airport in Nevada "when a controller fell asleep while a medical flight carrying an ill patient was trying to land," the FAA said. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood called the trend "absolutely unacceptable" and transportation officials immediately began making changes and reviews to address the problem. For example, Babbitt and LaHood said the FAA will assign an extra air traffic controller on the midnight shift at 27 control towers that have been staffed with only one controller during those hours. The FAA said Babbitt and National Air Traffic Controllers Association President Paul Rinaldi "are launching a nationwide 'Call to Action' on air traffic control safety and professionalism" and will visit air traffic facilities to underscore those points. The move will include "an independent review of the FAA's air traffic control training curriculum and qualifications and the expansion of NATCA's Professional Standards committees." The FAA is also reviewing staffing and scheduling. "We are conducting a top-to-bottom review of the way we operate our air traffic control system," Babbitt said "We are all responsible and accountable for safety -- from senior FAA leadership to the controller in the tower. Employees at the FAA work diligently every day to run the safest air transportation system in the world. But I will continue to make whatever changes are necessary to ensure we concentrate on keeping the traveling public safe." Along with the Nevada incident, cases of sleeping controllers occurred at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington and the McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, Tennessee. Three incidents involving the same person occurred at Boeing Field/King County International Airport in Seattle. The FAA said it also suspended two controllers in Lubbock, Texas, for an incident in which they failed to hand off control of a departing flight to the Fort Worth Air Traffic Control Center, and responded only after several attempts by the same center to hand them control of an arriving flight. An FAA statement did not indicate whether the Lubbock controllers were thought to have been asleep. Krakowski's departure was seen as ironic by some, who said he worked hard to improve the safety culture of the FAA. Krakowski was the guiding force behind the FAA's Air Traffic Safety Action Program (ATSAP), which sought a nonpunitive environment to encourage FAA employees to report safety concerns. Back to Top Traffic Congestion May Have Led to JFK Crash: Report Congestion may have caused delays that led to accident. A wing of an Airbus A380, the world's biggest commercial passenger jet, clipped the tail of another plane while taxiing out to depart John F. Kennedy International Airport on Monday night. Federal investigators suspect traffic congestion as a possible cause for Monday's collision between a jumbo jet and a commuter jet at Kennedy Airport. According to the Wall Street Journal, congestion in the ramp area may have caused the smaller Comair jet to slow down before following the instructions of an air traffic controller. The Comair jet may have idled itself in a spot where the Air France A-380 didn't expect it to be, prompting the crash. Citing people familiar with the matter, the paper said that the investigation will focus on how frequently incoming planes stop in the same spot the Comair plane did, and whether that leaves room enough for other, larger jets to pass. The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to look at traffic-control tapes and flight-data recording information as it investigates the collision. Video of the collision shows the wing of the much larger Air France jet clipping the back of the commuter jet, turning it an almost full 90 degrees. All of the Comair's passengers were evacuated safely, and no one was injured. According to the Airbus website, A-380 planes are the largest commercial aircraft currently in operation, carrying up to 853 passengers on two decks. Because of this, taxi procedures of U.S. air-traffic controllers usually have strict rules to ensure other aircraft keep a safe distance. Industry and government officials told the Journal that the accident would not cause any significant changes to current taxi procedures for other airports, but that Kennedy Airport has already begun reviewing their safety policies. http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Federal-Investigators-to-Review-JFK-Collision- 119843769.html Back to Top FAA Struggles to Define Progress on Pilot IDs without TSA Input Officials at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) snubbed a hearing of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Thursday, leaving the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) unable to answer questions on progress in producing secure identification for airplane pilots. Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) lamented the decision of John Pistole, TSA administrator, and John Schwartz, program manager for the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC), to appear before the committee or to participate in private meetings on the development of a pilot ID. Mica pondered calling a joint hearing with the House Homeland Security or Government Reform Committee, the oversight of which TSA would presumably accept. "They are not building a good strong fuzzy relationship in working with us," Mica said of TSA. The absence of the TSA officials left Peggy Gilligan, FAA associate administrator for aviation security, unable to provide a complete progress report on efforts to issue biometric identification cards for pilots. Gilligan readily acknowledged that FAA has not moved at the speed desired by Congress in tackling biometric identification for pilots. She said repeatedly that the agency has deferred to TSA, which is known to be developing a crewmember program that would apply to pilots. Presently, FAA requires only that pilots carry a certificate card that demonstrates they are qualified to fly a plane. During the hearing, Mica examined a current pilot's identification card, which did not even present a picture of the cardholder. FAA has proposed a rule to change that. It closed out a comment period in February for a regulation that would require pilots to submit a digital picture or enter a processing station for a secure identification card. As of this month, all pilots have a tamperproof license that includes colors, holograms, images, and hardened coding, making them difficult to counterfeit, Gilligan testified. However, the identification cards do not require photographs or any other biometric identifier. Mica quipped, "The only pilots to appear are Wilbur and Orville Wright." By March 2013, mechanics and other airline personnel will be required to have the same cards, Gilligan noted. Pilots' licenses first came under scrutiny in the 1980s, when law enforcement agencies observed the potential for pilots to participate in illegal drug smuggling. Additional security mandates followed after 9/11 to help prevent terrorists from hijacking airplanes. In October 2002, pilots began to carry a government-issued identification card along with their pilot's license in order to enter an airport facility and fly a plane. But the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-458) tasked FAA with producing a secure biometric identification card for pilots. Gilligan admitted FAA had not followed up with that congressional mandate until issuance of its proposed rule in November 2010. By way of explanation, Gilligan noted that FAA has no expertise in biometrics and was reluctant to duplicate efforts already underway at TSA. FAA could not collect or store securely biometric information due to a lack of expertise and infrastructure, she said. Once the rule is finalized, FAA would ease more than 700,000 pilots nationally into a new identification card that contains their photos over a five-year period. "It will take a while for us to be able to replace those certificates," Gilligan stated. The congressional mandate applies to all licensed pilots in order to prevent theft or damage of commercial and general aviation airplanes, Gilligan said. TSA and other law enforcement agencies presently vet the entire FAA Civil Aviation Registry for certified airmen. TSA announced April 1 that it would begin tests of a crewmember identity verification program later this year. FAA has spoken the Air Line Pilots Association and the Air Transportation Association, which are cosponsoring that effort, Gilligan said. FAA also continues to meet with TSA on its credentialing efforts, but Gilligan could not describe TSA's progress in producing pilot credentials. She also was not certain that the crewmember identity verification program would make use of biometrics. As she described it, the program would confirm the identity of pilots through an airline identification card and an employee identification number checked against a central database. So while FAA has had ongoing conversations with TSA about pilot credentialing, "we have not been very successful in drawing those to a conclusion... but we will continue to work on that," Gilligan said. "They have struggled and consequently we have struggled," she commented. http://www.hstoday.us/briefings/today-s-news-analysis/single-article/faa-struggles-to- define-progress-on-pilot-ids-without-tsa- input/44b6b91f0b4a10f2b37f72b601efc1f7.html Back to Top Records: Many air controllers are at risk of sleep, errors By Alan Levin More than 20% of the nation's air-traffic controllers work at least one midnight shift in 14 days, which puts them at risk of falling asleep or making critical safety errors, the government's own records show. Internal records from the Federal Aviation Administration - the agency that oversees flight safety and the air-traffic system - show that 3,404 of the nation's 15,475 controllers typically work the shift in a two-week pay period. FAA records and reports, some of which date back years, also make clear the government has long been aware of the potential danger of fatigue among controllers working at night. One report, prepared just last month for the FAA and its controllers' union, paints the danger in stark terms: It warns that working several midnight shifts in a row is so tough on people that they behave as if they're too drunk to legally drive. Fatigue has become a major issue for the nation's 24-hour, air-traffic system. Six controllers since February have been caught or been suspected of sleeping on the job at night or early morning. The most recent incident was Wednesday in Reno, where a medical plane landed shortly after 2 a.m. after failing to rouse anyone in the airport's tower. On Thursday, the FAA announced the resignation of its air-traffic chief, Hank Krakowski. A review of FAA reports and studies show that the potential for fatigue goes beyond a handful of controllers sleeping on the job. Tired controllers have made mistakes that nearly led to catastrophic collisions on runways, incident reports show. The report last month for the FAA and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association reiterated the point. "Acute fatigue occurs on a daily basis due to reduced sleep opportunity," it says. The National Transportation Safety Board, which investigates accidents and is a watchdog on air safety, recommended in 2007 that the FAA and the union alter schedules because fatigue had been linked to numerous incidents and accidents. "Fatigue is a longstanding problem in the industry," NTSB Chairman Debbie Hersman says. "It shouldn't take controllers falling asleep on the job for the FAA to wake up to the fact that these schedules aren't in the best interest of safety." Although no changes have been made, the FAA and the union said Thursday they're working on solutions. http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/story/2011/04/Many-air-controllers-risk-falling- asleep-making-mistakes-in-control-towers-records-show/46139582/1 Back to Top Russia plans to bring air safety to world standards The Russian government adopted on Thursday a draft federal program that would help Russia reduce the number of aircraft accidents and meet global flight safety standards. The federal program On Flight Safety of the State Aviation of the Russian Federation for 2011-2015 was drafted and submitted by the Ministry of Economic Development. The program envisions a gradual reform of the country's flight safety management system through the creation of an advanced integrated data control and exchange network and the development of hardware and software to assist air traffic officials in decision-making processes. Russia is planning to conduct a technical overhaul of about 300 air traffic control facilities, set up at least five new centers for analysis of air crashes, and install additional monitoring equipment on runways. The program is geared to significantly reduce the number of aircraft accidents, which would save the state budget up to 15 billion rubles ($500 mln) annually. The aggregate savings from the implementation of the program would be higher than the cost of the program, the document says. The International Air Transport Association said in a recent report that Russia and other former Soviet republics combined had the world's worst air traffic safety record in 2009, with an accident rate 13 times higher than the world average. According to Russia's Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK), 34 people were killed and hundreds were injured in 24 aircraft accidents in Russia in 2010. In addition, Polish officials have blamed Russian air traffic authorities for the crash of a Tu-154 plane near Smolensk that killed Polish President Lech Kaczynski and 95 other people in April last year. MOSCOW, April 14 (RIA Novosti) Back to Top OSHA cites Bush airport train operator over fatality The operator of a train at Bush Intercontinental Airport that last year struck two workers, killing one and severely injuring the other, exhibited "plain indifference to or intentional disregard for" the safety of the men, a federal official said Thursday. Johnson Controls Inc., which operates the inter-terminal automated people mover system at Bush, acted in the same manner in at least one other instance last year, according to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration. The two men were conducting their normal work duties on the elevated tracks of the people mover system Oct. 26 when they were struck by an automated tram. Travis Turner, an employee for contractor PBS&J Corp., died at the scene. Juan Manuel Cordero, who was working for Webber LLC, was severely injured and is now mentally incapacitated and physically impaired, according to court documents. Turner's family has filed a lawsuit related to the incident. According to the OSHA citations issued recently, Johnson Controls failed to develop procedures for shutting down the automated train system before workers proceeded onto its tracks, and it failed to communicate those shut-down procedures to the contractors. Johnson Controls also neglected to conduct inspections on the tracks at least once annually, according to OSHA. OSHA has fined the firm $147,000 for its two "willful" violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and one "serious" violation of safety codes in connection with the Oct. 26 incident. Two other companies were fined $14,000 each for serious violations, agency spokesman Juan Rodriguez said. Willful violations are the most severe cited by OSHA. Company fights citations Johnson Controls' willful violations meant that it showed "blatant disregard for the law," said Richard Jessup, a safety expert authorized by OSHA to teach inspectors. "These rules are not mysterious," Jessup said. "They're available in a thousand different places. And Johnson Controls knew what to do, and they made a conscious decision that we're not going to follow those rules." The company also operated a train system at Miami International Airport until 2008, when a tram overran a stop and crashed into a wall. Five passengers were injured in the crash. The airport subsequently terminated its contract with Johnson Controls and is suing the company. Johnson Controls, in a statement, pledged to fight its latest citations. The company has more than 130,000 employees globally and has frequently been cited by OSHA for safety violations. "We do not agree with the alleged violations and intend to pursue the OSHA review process for challenging the citation, if necessary," the statement said. "Johnson Controls takes the safety of its employees and workplaces very seriously and will always have safety as a top priority in all of our business operations." The company was fined $70,000 in August for a willful violation "for failing to ensure that employees utilized mandatory fall protection while working" on a roof, according to OSHA. PBS&J Corp. was cited for failing to communicate with Johnson Controls about procedures for shutting down the tram system and for not providing protective equipment to prevent injuries during work involving hazards capable of causing injuries. Webber also was cited for its failure to communicate about "energy control procedures to prevent the hazards of being electrocuted, struck-by and caught-in by the rail, train and other components of the automated people mover." The company also was fined for failing to provide a guard rail, safety net or personal fall arrest system. Although OSHA issued the citations April 8, PBS&J Corp. was still reviewing them, spokeswoman Kathe Jackson said in an email. "We take health and safety very seriously in our company," Jackson said. "We just received the notification and are in the process of evaluating the findings." Steve Grubbs, an attorney representing Webber said the company disagreed with OSHA's findings and was "evaluating all of our options at this point." No one was monitoring Continental Airlines hires contractors to manage and maintain the tram system, since it accounts for the majority of traffic at the airport and was involved in its construction. No one was monitoring the tram system when the incident occurred, and there are no government regulations for airport trams that would require continuous monitoring of tracks while maintenance or other work is taking place. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7522487.html Back to Top V Australia grounds 777 after engine problem aborts take-off The Virgin Blue group's long-haul subsidiary V Australia has grounded one of its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in Los Angeles after it experienced unspecified engine problems and aborted its takeoff mid-roll. The incident occurred shortly before 23:00hr on 13 April on flight VA2 departing Los Angeles International's runway 25R for Sydney. The aircraft shortly thereafter exited the runway. A V Australia spokesman was unable to confirm if the General Electric GE90 powerplant experienced an engine surge or how long the aircraft would be out of service, saying the carrier was awaiting a preliminary report into overnight engineering inspections. The report is due this morning in Australia. According to air traffic control recordings, the crew of VA2 reported to the Los Angeles tower at the time of the incident: "Our engine functions appear to be normal but there seems to be something of significant impact - I'm not sure it's the nose gear or the main gear." Another airline crew responded: "We happened to look at the front of that aircraft when he aborted and I saw some sort of spark near the nose gear. I don't know if there was a blown nose gear tyre but it looked like it might have been that." A third airline crew reported they saw a "fireball out of your number one engine". V Australia has chartered a Boeing 747-400 from Air New Zealand (ANZ) "to maintain schedule integrity". The carrier has so far cancelled the affected VA2 flight as well as today's Brisbane-Los Angeles service. The ANZ 747 will operate today from Australia to Los Angeles and then make the return journey. The spokesman could not say how long the aircraft would be chartered for but that he expects it to complete "at least a few sectors". V Australia says it is accommodating passengers, including putting them on other carriers' flights. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top Three-way airprox over Italy followed slack ATC handover Lack of situational awareness after controllers changed shift led to a serious three-way air proximity incident in the vicinity of Milan nearly two years ago, Italian investigators have concluded. The incident centred on a BMI Airbus A320 and an Air France A320 travelling on separate opposite-direction airways, at adjacent flight levels 350 and 360, and a White Airways A319 which was approaching their crossing point on a near-perpendicular course at level 360. While the Air France and BMI aircraft were being handled by the Milan East air traffic control sector, the Milan West sector was initially overseeing the White jet. Milan West cleared the White flight direct to a waypoint within the Milan East sector. Just before the White aircraft transferred to Milan East, there was a change of executive controller on the Milan East sector. The incoming executive controller was initially dealing with an EasyJet Switzerland flight as the White aircraft transferred. Italian investigation agency ANSV states that, 78s after this transfer, the short-term conflict alert triggered, warning that the White A319 was approaching the Air France A320 at the same altitude, flight level 360. The White aircraft was instructed to descend to level 350 but the controller almost immediately saw a chance to resolve the conflict horizontally and told the White and Air France flights to adjust their headings. But straight afterwards a second alarm alerted the controller to a new conflict between the White A319 and the BMI A320, triggered because the White aircraft had been descending - as requested - to level 350, at which the BMI jet was cruising. ANSV says their closest approach was 2.18nm horizontally and 400ft vertically. Forty seconds later the White aircraft, having returned to level 360, passed 3.8nm behind the Air France A320 at the same altitude. The traffic collision-avoidance systems on the aircraft involved did not trigger any advisory because the aircraft were not on a collision trajectory. ANSV nevertheless describes the loss of separation in the 9 July 2009 incident as "serious". It says the lack of situational awareness was "encouraged" by a shortfall in formality during the exchange of controllers. ANSV says the change was "essentially based on mutual trust" and conducted with "excessive confidence", with no detailed breakdown of the air traffic situation. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top New ATC System Ready For Nationwide Use, FAA Says After years of development, the FAA has declared its new en route air traffic control system fully operational and ready to be introduced nationwide. The agency made the "in-service" decision on the en route automation modernization (ERAM) system based on its performance at the operational test sites in Seattle and Salt Lake City. ERAM, which will be the backbone ATC system at the 20 en route centers in the continental U.S., is regarded as a crucial precursor to the NextGen modernization effort. The ERAM program has endured significant delays, but will have no effect on the broader NextGen timetable, a top FAA official said. While the FAA had intended to make the in- service decision by the end of 2009, operational trials at the first two sites took longer than expected as problems were worked out. The new system has already been deployed at the other 18 centers, and now it can be progressively activated. It will still be operationally tested at each site before being used to handle traffic full-time. Minneapolis is expected to be the next site on the list. ERAM, which was developed by Lockheed Martin, replaces an older system, known as Host. It will give controllers more capability and make it much easier to incorporate NextGen functions as they are introduced. http://www.aviationweek.com Back to Top FAA chief orders "top to bottom" review of air traffic control system WASHINGTON - The head of the Federal Aviation Administration announced a "top to bottom" review of the nation's air traffic control system after a string of incidents in which controllers fell asleep at their posts. Meanwhile, a senior Republican lawmaker said that a spate of operational errors and mechanical failures suggests commercial aviation is "almost overdue for some kind of an incident." Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., said he discussed his concerns Thursday with FAA chief Randy Babbitt, shortly after Babbitt accepted the resignation of his top air traffic control official. The resignation of Hank Krakowski, the FAA's chief operating officer for air traffic, followed the suspension of four air traffic controllers believed to have slept on duty at airports in Seattle, Nevada, Washington, D.C., and Tennessee. Two controllers in Lubbock also were suspended after they failed to respond to communications from a Fort Worth controller early in the morning of March 29. "Incidents of near misses and close calls, and serious mishaps that have been reported - I am just a little concerned that our luck may be running out," Mica, the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said in an interview Thursday. In response to the allegations of dozing on duty, Babbitt announced that a second controller would be added to the midnight shift at more than two dozen airports nationwide, including Fort Worth's Meacham International, which serves corporate business and general aviation travelers. "Over the last few weeks, we have seen examples of unprofessional conduct on the part of a few individuals that have rightly caused the traveling public to question our ability to ensure their safety," Babbitt said Thursday. "This conduct must stop immediately." Babbitt and Paul Rinaldi, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, plan to visit airports and radar facilities around the country next week "to reinforce the need for all air traffic personnel to adhere to the highest professional standards," an FAA statement said. The FAA is currently studying recommendations to fight fatigue among air traffic controllers, some of whom switch from working days in one week to all nights later in the same month, according to the FAA. One such recommendation would allow them to take short naps during breaks. Some controllers' schedules require them to work two day shifts, two afternoon shifts, and one midnight shift in a single week. According to FAA data, the number of reported errors by air traffic controllers jumped 53 percent in 2010 from the year before. Last year, the FAA proposed a regulation designed to limit fatigue among pilots. The rule would allow pilots more time to rest between shifts and would limit their flying time each day. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association says one-controller shifts are "unsafe" because of the risks of fatigue. "We take our responsibilities very seriously and believe staffing levels and fatigue are at the root of the problem," Rinaldi said in a statement. "We will continue to work with the FAA and through our professional standards work group to provide the highest level of professionalism and safety." In a 2007 accident probe, the National Transportation Safety Board found that a solo controller working at a Lexington, Ky., airport was "most likely fatigued" when he failed to notice a regional jet taking off on the wrong runway. The Comair jet crashed, killing two crew members and 47 passengers. Mica, whose committee oversees the FAA budget, said he's learned "anecdotally" that sleeping may be more common than previously thought, and that it's now simply reported more often. Controllers who sleep on duty should be fired, Mica said. Even so, the lawmaker criticized the decision to add a controller to every midnight shift because most airports have very few, if any, takeoffs and landings between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m. In the latest incident, a controller was asleep early Wednesday when a medical aircraft carrying a sick passenger sought clearance to land at Reno-Tahoe International Airport. The plane landed safely with help from a terminal radar approach control facility. The FAA suspended the Reno controller, who went silent for 16 minutes. The agency also has suspended a Seattle-based controller who allegedly fell asleep during his morning shift Monday. These events followed a March 23 incident in which a controller at Washington Reagan National Airport was napping shortly after midnight as two aircraft sought to land. And last week, Babbitt said the FAA was seeking to fire a suspended Knoxville, Tenn., controller who slept during his shift in February. In that case, officials say, the controller piled up cushions and used a blanket to be more comfortable. The news about sleeping controllers follows an incident on April 1, when a 5-foot hole ripped open on the top of a Southwest Airlines jet flying at 34,000 feet. The NTSB is investigating that incident. But Babbitt announced last week that he'd ordered a review of the FAA's aging-aircraft program, which covers many of Southwest's jets. "The sleeping has brought it to another level of attention," Mica said. "There have been other instances of poor performance. They smart from it. That has to hurt them." FAA identified airport towers where a second controller was added to the midnight shift as Akron-Canton, Ohio; Allegheny, Pa.; Andrews Air Force Base, Md.; Burbank, Calif.; Duluth, Minn.; DuPage, Ill.; Fargo, N.D.; two airports in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Fort Worth Meacham; Grant County, Wash.; Kansas City, Mo.; Manchester, N.H.; Omaha, Neb.; Ontario, Calif.; Reno-Tahoe, Nev.; Richmond, Va.; Sacramento, Calif.; San Diego; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Terre Haute, Ind.; Teterboro, N.J.; Tucson, Ariz.; Willow Run, Mich.; Windsor Locks, Conn.; and Youngstown, Ohio. A second nighttime controller was also added at an approach control facility in Omaha. http://www.dallasnews.com/business/ Back to Top PAMA Names New President Dale Forton Will Lead Aviation Maintenance Association The Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the selection of Dale Forton as President. "The selection of Dale Forton as President completes the last remaining piece of PAMA's new leadership structure," said Current PAMA Board Chair, Clark Gordon. "At the pentacle of the pyramid he will ensure PAMA continues to grow exponentially. Dale's knowledge and involvement in the industry and previous leadership experience as a PAMA board director makes him a natural fit to meet PAMA's strategic plan." Dale has been active in the aviation maintenance industry for 32 years and passionately involved in PAMA for over 26 years. Dale has a thorough understanding of the aviation maintenance industry from his roles as an A&P, former Director of Maintenance, and an active PAMA Board member. As a PAMA member Dale has launched a chapter, served as Great Lakes Regional Director and Vice Chairman of the PAMA Board of Directors, and chaired several key committees including the governance and strategic planning committee. "Appointing Dale as our new President ensures PAMA's evolution to effectively represent the Aviation Maintenance Professional," Gordon said. "I believe, and the Board of Directors agrees, that Dale possesses the leadership and strategic planning skills needed to guide our organization into the future." "Slowing economic trends indicate there will be a shortage of A&P's in the near future," said Forton. "We must prepare new and existing members in our industry for this shortage of qualified technicians by growing awareness of the increasing technical expertise needed to maintain aircraft. And with that the industry will need to recognize a cost increase to retain the existing technicians and entice new ones into aircraft maintenance "As President, I plan to first engage members, chapters, and the industry in what PAMA can do for them now and what they would like PAMA to do for them in the future. I am very excited about the direction of career enhancement training which PAMA is offering in webinars as well as the upcoming Great Lakes Airworthiness Symposium." FMI: www.pama.org Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC