Out of control at LAX
THE FIRST TIME ONE OF THE air traffic control systems at Los Angeles International Airport failed, a month ago, it seemed a routine glitch. These things happen with sophisticated technical devices. The second time, on July 26, it was a little scary. Still, it passed with a shrug. Now that the fourth incident in a month has stalled air traffic at LAX, nobody’s shrugging anymore. It strains credulity to believe that all these glitches are merely coincidental.
The latest problem occurred Monday when a radio system that helps pilots land in low-visibility conditions went down for 40 minutes, delaying 13 arrivals at LAX. It was the same system that went down Aug. 7 for 3 1/2 hours, delaying 46 flights.
What’s puzzling about the problems is that, except for the two most recent shutdowns, they involve separate systems. On July 18, an air traffic facility in Palmdale lost power for two hours, and on July 26 an alarm meant to head off ground collisions had to be shut off after it issued a false alert. The Federal Aviation Administration, which is responsible for maintaining this equipment, has yet to explain any of the incidents, to the chagrin of airport officials. On Monday, they publicly criticized the agency, suggesting that there is a systemwide problem with the equipment and that it should be replaced.
It’s possible, even probable, that some of LAX’s flight-control gear is outdated or inadequately maintained. The air traffic controllers union certainly thinks so; it blames the FAA for a cost-cutting program it says has delayed equipment upgrades and reduced staffing levels of maintenance technicians. But the union is in a contract battle with the FAA, making it far from an objective observer. It’s equally difficult to put full trust in the FAA when it insists that the outages don’t compromise safety and that the systems are sound. That’s why an independent investigation of the recent troubles at LAX is justified.
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) plans to arrive at LAX today for a visit that is to include a discussion of the glitches with William Withycombe, chief of the FAA’s Western-Pacific region. Boxer also is expected to call for the Department of Transportation to launch an independent investigation. If the department’s inspector general demurs, Boxer should call for hearings by the Senate aviation subcommittee on which she sits.
No one has yet been hurt or killed as a result of LAX’s flight-control problems. Investigators need to get to the bottom of them before that changes.
