FAA hid mistakes at D/FW, tried to blame airline pilots

Senior managers of the Federal Aviation Administration jeopardized safety at D/FW Air Traffic Control by hiding traffic controllers' mistakes and instead blaming pilots for errors, a federal watchdog office has reported.

What's worse, when ordered to clean up their act after getting busted several years ago, the FAA's senior managers apparently followed few, if any, suggestions, according to a report from the U.S. office of Special Counsel.

Darrell Meachum, southwest region vice president for the National Air Traffic Controllers Union, said controllers feel vindicated by the report.

Pilots, though, are perturbed.

"For airline pilots, it's challenging enough flying in and out of D/FW airport without the additional worry you might get wrongly accused of some sort of operational error," said Scott Shankland of Allied Pilots Association.

The Office of Special Counsel's 24-page report reaffirms what whistleblower Anne Whiteman told WFAA-TV (Channel 8) in July 2007 -- that senior managers at D/FW' Air Traffic Control covered up mistakes and used pilots as the scapegoat.

The underreporting of errors continued, even after the FAA was told to clean up its practices.

FULL ARTICLE - Dallas Morning News