Community Chat

[drizzellla]

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@RetiredATC wrote:

I'm a retired Air Traffic Controller, have a pilot's license, and my answers are based on that.

1.  At the risk of sounding condesending--accidents happen at airports because that's where the highest concentration of airplanes are.  If you are asking specifically about the LGA accident---it happened at night, there had been another emergency.  Aircraft and vehicles are operating with steady, and flashing white and red lights on them, and the white, blue, amber and red flashing and steady lights of the airport lighting, sometimes it is hard to make out exactly where things are within the sea of lights.  To understand this, go to an airport at night and try to figure out where things are.  I'm still amazed that pilots find taxiways at night at the busy airports.

2.  Not all airplanes are tracked with every move it makes.  Vehicles may not, also.  The airport needs special radar (not at all airpotts) to track aircraft and vehicles on the ground.

3.  I don't understand your third comment.  If you are trying to say that everyone has a radio to hear air traffic controllers, if they are operating on the airport surface of most areas, they are supposed to have 2-way communications, at all times.  My guess is that the emergency equipment either turned down the radio or there was too much background noise in the vehicle to hear the controller telling them to stop.  Also, there are possiblities of radio failure.

4.  No way would I go in an airplane it the system was totally automated.  Technology is not always better.  Too hard and long to explain this in a paragraph.

5.  Unless it's a mechanical failure, unfortunately, most accidents have a human factor in them.

I understand you're not attacking airport personel, and it is good to ask questions. 

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 Thanks for your input. You mentioned so many good points. One thing I noticed when I hear the conversations from the air traffic controller and the plane crew, I am amazed how quickly all the numbers and letters are noted and repeated. Even when the radio transmission might have additional static or noise.

Yes - No. 5 - I listened to a "Captain Steeeve" chat last night. A plane from Mexico almost landed on a Turkish plane ready to take off at JFK. The traffic controller told Mexican plane to land on a certain runway Right. Well the pilot got mixed up and was going to land on certain runway Left. The air traffic controller noticed the error and had made the Mexican  pilot to not land and turn around. 

The pilot or crew had repeated the exact directions the air traffic controller had said but still got confused and was starting to go to the wrong runway. 

But when you look at major airports, it seems like the airport buildings need to expand because of increased travel and cargo. And the area around the airport gets more and more congested. There seem to be buildings right near the end of runways or on the side. No wiggle room for planes landing or taking off.

I am impressed with how well air traffic controller and pilots are able to handle the crowded skys. Just look how often a plane is landing and taking off at major airports.

[Italian gal]

I know people travel....but why si many and it was said it will get worse? I am always hearing how people cannot afford anything but wow where are people going?

[CalminHeart]

Air traffic control requires humans and humans make mistakes. 

Technology hasn't yet replaced humans in everything. 

Accidents happen everywhere.

It's a fact of life.

Yes, crashes etc are horrible and nerve wracking for so many people.  

[geezerette]

When you look at the number of flights coming and going from major airports every day and add in all the other "distractions" happening at the same time on the runways, it's amazing these types of incidents don't happen more often. 

When all the reviews are done, it's never any one thing or person responsible, but rather a series of missteps or equipment failures.  When you consider that everything has to be perfect every single time a plane leaves or lands, the odds are that once in while they won't be.  And the results can be disastrous, unfortunately.

[Shanus]

@Tinkrbl44   I think the folks in the towers are over worked and sometimes doing 2 jobs up there. Some report being on overtime schedules and just too tired to always make good decisions.

There are helicopters, drones, and many more flights, etc. now to also watch for crashes. Fire and rescue vehicles are always on the ground near the runways, just in case.

I can see a day when robots (oh no!) are needed in the towers to replace TSA and other positions in airports to manage the shortages.

When I have to fly to Seatlle (6 hrs.) to see my daughtr and SIL, I white knuckle it all the way. I always flew for work NC and NY/NJ and never gave it a thought. 

[Lakelife62]

Careful about telling the truth about what is being reported. If you say that there have been huge cuts to FAA and that workers are forced to work alone or multiple shifts with no relief and that they are not being paid, you risk having your post deleted.

[drizzellla]

Well, I listened to Captain Steeeve this morning about the plane crash.He was just talking from his experience. No official reports are out yet.

He was saying visibility played a factor. It was raining and misty.

The air traffic controller also was able to change the direction and runway of the Delta flight that was supposed to land right after the Air Canada flight.

But he said something that stuck with me.  The last fatal plane accident at La Guardia happened March 22, 1992. This accident happened March 22, 2026. 

[They CallMe MRWILKES]

1992

March 22

USAir Flight 405 bound for Hopkins International Airport in Cleveland, crashed on takeoff at LaGuardia because of icing on its wings. Of 51 people aboard, 27 were killed.

[RetiredATC]

I haven't watched Capt Steeeve yet, but I will.  When a jet is in a certain phase of landing, it may not have enough power to change runways or go around, so if a change of runway could be given, there may not be time to do it.  I enjoy watching Capt Steeve, but I did catch him saying something very basic that I questioned.  Maybe he tries to talk to the non-aviation community, so he is not quite accurate, just to be understandable to the general public.

[RetiredATC]

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@Shanus wrote:

@Tinkrbl44   I think the folks in the towers are over worked and sometimes doing 2 jobs up there. Some report being on overtime schedules and just too tired to always make good decisions.

There are helicopters, drones, and many more flights, etc. now to also watch for crashes. Fire and rescue vehicles are always on the ground near the runways, just in case.

I can see a day when robots (oh no!) are needed in the towers to replace TSA and other positions in airports to manage the shortages.

When I have to fly to Seatlle (6 hrs.) to see my daughtr and SIL, I white knuckle it all the way. I always flew for work NC and NY/NJ and never gave it a thought. 

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TSA has nothing to do with air traffic control.  A controller can spend 3-4 years in training before they can work without strict supervision.