Jan 31, 2008 11:28 pm US/Eastern
WJZ Investigates Near Misses At BWI
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
There are disturbing reports about the safety of our skies and runways at BWI Thurgood Marshall airport. Hundreds of near misses around the country, including one at BWI last December have led to stepped up safety rules by the Federal Aviation Administration.
But pilots tell Vic Carter those rules may not be enough.
"In recent years, as traffic has increased, we've seen more of these incursions taking place and in some cases on a daily basis," said Captain Terry McVenes.
According to the Government Accountability Office, there were 370 runway incursions nationwide in fiscal 2007. One of the closer calls happened at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, where on Dec. 2, two passenger jets had a brush with catastrophe.
A Comair jet preparing for departure was cleared on runway 15-R. At the same time, an America West/U.S. Airways jet was coming in for a landing on runway 10. The two runways intersect, and the planes missed each other by only 400 feet.
That investigation is still ongoing, but early signs indicate air traffic controller error.
How does runway safety at BWI measure up to other international airports? According to the FAA, from 2003 to 2006 BWI had eight runway incursions. Washington Dulles had the same amount, while Reagan National airport had only two. But our neighbor to the north, Philadelphia International Airport, led the nation with 34 runway incursions.
"It is time to do something before we have to investigate an accident that is catastrophic", said National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Mark Rosenker who puts the burden of runway safety squarely on the FAA.
In addition, a congressional report by the GAO finds serious concerns with the FAA, saying the nation faces "a high risk of a catastrophic runway collision" and the FAA has "failed to update its runway safety plan" for five years.
But the FAA says it is taking action by implementing new cockpit procedures, better airport signage and markings and new safety technology. The good news for travelers flying into and out of Baltimore-- most of those recommendations have already been implemented at BWI.
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