FAA negligence spotlighted as veteran controller averts disaster
- I don't want to be responsible for killing 400 people, says Jonathan Stewart, an experienced air traffic controller who prevented a dangerous collision in the airspace over New Jersey. He reveals the behind-the-scenes work under pressure and accuses the FAA of serious negligence, reports the Wall Street Journal.
The Wall Street Journal describes Jonathan Stewart's story, who was on his fourth hour of duty when he noticed two planes on the radar heading straight for each other.
- It's like playing 3D chess at 400 kilometres per hour, he says about his work. He managed to react by issuing commands to the pilots to change course. The collision was avoided. However, after the incident on May 4, Stewart went on stress-related leave.
This is not an isolated incident. More and more controllers in the U.S. are taking trauma-related leaves. The reason is not only the dramatic working conditions but also the continuous FAA system failures. - I don't want to be responsible for killing 400 people, Stewart repeats.
He has been professionally managing airspace traffic for 25 years. He currently works in the Tracon unit, which controls, among other things, approaches to Newark Airport.
High earnings but health suffers
Although he earns up to $450,000 annually (including overtime), he speaks openly: this job costs you your health. - You give up nights, weekends, holidays, birthdays, everything else. Your mental health and your physical health take a toll - he emphasizes.
Failure? It's not a question, but a matter of time – controllers warn. Radar malfunctions, lack of communication, and outages of radiotelephones are just some problems causing the FAA to limit the number of flights and implement temporary fixes. Stewart writes bluntly in the report that "the situation is, has been and continues to be unsafe. The amount of stress we are under is insurmountable."
The FAA claims it introduces new equipment, invests in training, and asks Congress for billions of dollars. The new Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, promises to prioritize facilities like the one in Philadelphia. Stewart admits, "For the first time that I'm aware of, they are throwing money at the problem."
