ATC
IG: FAA Oversight of ADS-B System at Risk
The U.S.
An ADS-B ground radio station in Boca Raton, Fla., stands as one of 794 due for installation nationwide by 2013. (Photo: ITT)
An ADS-B ground radio station in Boca Raton, Fla., stands as one of 794 due for installation nationwide by 2013. (Photo: ITT)

The U.S. Department of Transportation appears unconvinced that the FAA can adequately monitor the contractor-owned automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) program–a supposed model of public-private partnership.

In an audit report August 4, the DOT’s Inspector General said the FAA risks “losing long-term visibility into system performance” of ADS-B and other systems underpinning the Next Generation Air Transportation System. Under the ADS-B contract awarded to ITT in August 2007, the FAA owns the surveillance data generated by the system, and the system design and configuration. ITT owns the ground infrastructure of radio stations that transmits data to FAA ATC facilities, expected to number 794 by 2013. Last year the company started offering some tracking and flight data produced by the system for sale, as allowed by FAA guidelines.