What's this all about?
04-20-2007 | 11:34 AM
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Slainge Var'
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From: Zeppelin Tail Gunner
What's this all about?
AA Changes Memphis Procedures
The Federal Aviation Administration mandated changes in landing procedures at Memphis International Airport after air traffic controllers cited a near-miss in February. Air traffic controllers sought the changes in what they called dangerous landing procedures which put pilots at risk.
FedEx said the problems are not so serious. "We've followed these arrival procedures for 20 years and know its safe or we wouldn't be flying them," said a FedEx spokesman. "We look forward to working with the agency during their review. The FAA will review this safety assessment."
The pilots in the incident in February declined to describe it as a near miss.
"This has been an issue for years," said National Air Traffic Controllers Association President, Peter Sufka. "I'm not the first controller at Memphis to tell the FAA 'I think there's something wrong with operation'."
Runway 2-7 at the airport runs east-west just to the north of three north-south runways. Multiple planes sometimes land at the same time on the intersecting runways, increasing danger, controllers said. The FAA said Friday "flight patterns will stagger" and allow more room between planes as they land. Training in the new procedure started this week.
The changes may cause fewer flights on runway 2-7, reducing capacity.
The Federal Aviation Administration mandated changes in landing procedures at Memphis International Airport after air traffic controllers cited a near-miss in February. Air traffic controllers sought the changes in what they called dangerous landing procedures which put pilots at risk.
FedEx said the problems are not so serious. "We've followed these arrival procedures for 20 years and know its safe or we wouldn't be flying them," said a FedEx spokesman. "We look forward to working with the agency during their review. The FAA will review this safety assessment."
The pilots in the incident in February declined to describe it as a near miss.
"This has been an issue for years," said National Air Traffic Controllers Association President, Peter Sufka. "I'm not the first controller at Memphis to tell the FAA 'I think there's something wrong with operation'."
Runway 2-7 at the airport runs east-west just to the north of three north-south runways. Multiple planes sometimes land at the same time on the intersecting runways, increasing danger, controllers said. The FAA said Friday "flight patterns will stagger" and allow more room between planes as they land. Training in the new procedure started this week.
The changes may cause fewer flights on runway 2-7, reducing capacity.
