A small uproar in pilot forums and AOPA “safety” blogs greeted the criticism by some former FAA and NTSB experts of the American and United pilots’ decisions to land at DCA when the sole air traffic controller on the midnight shift fell asleep one night in March this year. While FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt–a former ALPA president–focused all his safety outrage on the hapless controller who fell asleep, surely in part because of the FAA’s own decisions to leave the midnight shift at the nation’s capital airport with just one controller, he completely avoided the real safety issues posed by the landings of two different airlines at DCA without a clearance from the control tower.
While the FAA took disciplinary action against the controller who fell asleep (and Hank Krakowski, head of the FAA Air Traffic Organization [ATO], resigned), I have heard nothing about the Potomac Tracon controller who seemed to encourage the airlines to land at DCA as though silence from ATC transformed a controlled field into an uncontrolled one. I assume the American and United crews filed ASAP reports and would thus be immunized against company discipline and FAA enforcement. However, immunity does not indicate that the action was legal under the Federal Aviation Regulations; the crews were clearly not in accordance with the FARs, which prohibit landing at a controlled airport without a clearance from the airport’s air traffic control tower.
With more than 40 years experience in the aviation industry, The Honorable John Goglia, was the first and only Airframe and Powerplant mechanic to receive a presidential appointment to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). He served from August 1995 to June 2004.
As a Board Member, Mr. Goglia distinguished himself in numerous areas of transportation safety. In particular, he was instrumental in raising awareness of airport safety issues, including the importance of airport crash fire and rescue operations and the dangers of wildlife at airports. He played a key role in focusing international attention on the increasing significance of aircraft maintenance in aviation accidents. He pressed, successfully, for greater integration of civilian and military safety information, becoming a featured speaker at national aviation symposiums attended by military leaders and major defense contractors. He is a leading proponent of airplane child safety seats.
Prior to becoming a Board Member, Mr. Goglia held numerous positions in the airline industry. He started as a mechanic for United Airlines and eventually joined Allegheny, which became USAir. Additionally, he was involved for more than 20 years as a union flight safety representative on accident investigation teams. There, he developed a safety program for his union, the International Association of Machinists, and was its representative for NTSB investigations. For twelve years, he operated his own aircraft service company.
Numerous prestigious groups have recognized Mr. Goglia’s contributions to aviation safety. Aviation Week & Space Technology awarded him a coveted 2004 Laurel for his outstanding service as an NTSB Board member. The Society of Automotive Engineers presented him with the Aerospace Chair Award for outstanding leadership in 2003 and the Marvin Whitlock Award for outstanding management accomplishment in 2002.
