Air Safety Concerns Linger

The Comair crash in Lexington, Ky., raised questions about the FAA’s dissemination of airport information and its staffing of air traffic control towers. The tower at Blue Grass Airport had only one controller, instead of the required two, on duty that morning. Construction work at the field had changed the regular taxiway and runway layout, but the crew’s information was outdated. The FAA last week issued an advisory to airport operators, asking them to disseminate better information about closures and construction. “Air crews may have a hard time keeping up with these changes as they occur,” the FAA said. “In many cases, the NOTAM system may be inadequate.” [more] The FAA said operators should use computers to create graphic notices on a timely basis, which can be distributed to airport users via a Web site or e-mail.