Controllers Charge That Safety at O’Hare Is ‘Unacceptable’ | Aviation International News

Controllers Charge That Safety at O’Hare Is ‘Unacceptable’

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) claims that a shortage of full-performance level (FPL) controllers at the Chicago Tracon–the natio

By AIN Staff • AIN Staff

October 12, 2007

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) claims that a shortage of full-performance level (FPL) controllers at the Chicago Tracon–the nation’s third-busiest approach control facility–has brought the level of safety below an “acceptable” level, and the union has asked the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to intervene.

NATCA blames insufficient staffing, rising record amounts of traffic, complicated revised landing procedures and even the closing of Meigs Field for low controller morale and increasing numbers of errors.

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