11-Oct-2010 11:57 AM
US air traffic controllers report 51% more errors: FAA
US Federal Aviation Administration stated its count of recorded incidents has increased due to multiple error-reporting systems in place (The Washington Post, 10-Oct-2010). The number of potentially dangerous mistakes recorded by air traffic controllers increased by 51% in the past year. The vast majority of the 1,869 operational errors were recorded by controllers who direct aircraft below cruising altitude as they take-off or prepare to land. Those controllers accounted for 1,390 recorded errors, a 58% increase from the previous year, including 333 of the more-serious "category A or B" mistakes, a 36% increase.