Enforced Enforcement?
 

Pulled this from Avweb....kind of Big-Brother-ish if you ask me, can't the Fed's do the dirty work themselves? The "Any and all errors" part is what scares me, so if someone mispeaks on the radio they get hung out? That's basically what they are saying. Fed's need to remove a few corn-cobs.

*********
If you've ever missed a turn, set the altitude bug incorrectly or committed any of thousands of sins that air traffic controllers routinely catch and help correct every day without much fuss, those days are apparently over. The FAA has apparently ordered controllers to violate pilots for any and all errors and has threatened to discipline them if they don't file the reports. While the FAA says it's just enforcing rules already in place, the head of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association say it's yet another burden an an already-overworked workforce that will pit controllers against pilots. "We are not the FAA police! The FAA's and controller's mission is to provide the safe and efficient movement of live air traffic," said NATCA President Patrick Forrey. "The fact that the FAA is now disciplining controllers for not 'policing' pilot actions as they relate to flight regulations is indicative of the tyrannical and oppressive culture the FAA has created." The FAA, as might be suspected, has a different view.



In an email to AVweb, FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said it's alway been controllers' jobs to report pilot infractions and she stressed there has been no change in FAA policy in this regard. However, in a quote from an unnamed senior staff member in the Air Traffic Organization (ATO) it's clear that reporting infractions is now being stressed. "The bottom line is there has been no change in ATC requirements just reinforcing the reporting piece," Brown quoted one of the ATO managers as saying. For the record, controllers are supposed to write up errors and supply supporting evidence to the FSDO manager and the decision to sanction pilots is made there. Make sure those clearances and readbacks are clear ... .

*******

There's a thread in Regionals about this.

How low can you go, seems to be the order of the day. There certainly isn't any thinking going on at 800 Independence.

In my 19 years of ATC, I can't recall ever turning a pilot in. If Ms. Brown says that rule was always in place, I didn't know about it. And I've done just fine not knowing about it. I will say their threats and intimidation are real, so I won't be surpised if this turns into a witch hunt. They already have controllers pitted against each other. I've seen it, and I can't believe it. Me personally, I'll probably keep on doing what I've been doing, and chance getting 30 days on the street. The job is tough enough without this added bS#$%%!:mad:

Thanks for your service btw, sounds like you're definately one of the good guys out there on the other end of the Mic.

There's a good read about this at The Main Bang. That's a blog by the past president of the controllers union. The Main Bang

I'm a retired ATC and pilot. (Aahhh, schizophrenia) Both of me do not like the philosophy at work here. Safety of flight doesn't seem to be the FAAs concern here.
I believe most controllers will take Mr. Carrs point of view on this.
I'm a "no harm, no foul, lesson learned" type. It has served me/us well for many years.