What the Hell Is Going on at Our Airports?

[Right_in_Virginia]

What the Hell Is Going on at Our Airports?
Townhall, Mar 1, 2023

<snip>

Now, I’m not that insane to blame Buttigieg for everything, but the default maneuver for this administration is to put everything in cruise control, which has led to disastrous consequences that started when Kabul fell, and we had to flee in humiliating fashion. Since then, many domestic crises have been rolling by with tumbleweed-like frequency. One flying under the radar revolves around our airports. There could have been a Tenerife-like situation at JFK airport, and there was just another close call at Logan in Boston (via Associated Press):

A JetBlue pilot had to take “evasive action” while landing at Boston’s Logan International Airport when another aircraft crossed an intersecting runway, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The close call occurred at about 7 p.m. Monday when the pilot of a Learjet 60 took off without clearance as a JetBlue flight was preparing to land on an intersecting runway, according to the FAA’s preliminary review.

The FAA is investigating just how close the two aircraft came, but flight data tracking service Flightradar24 said Tuesday that a preliminary analysis put the aircraft approximately 530 feet (160 meters) apart.

An air traffic controller instructed the pilot of the Learjet to line up and wait on one runway while the JetBlue flight landed on another, the FAA said in a statement.

“The Learjet pilot read back the instructions clearly but began a takeoff roll instead,” the FAA said. “The pilot of the JetBlue aircraft took evasive action and initiated a climb-out as the Learjet crossed the intersection.”

To cap it all off, we had another near collision this month at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas.

What is going on?


More:
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2023/03/01/we-almost-had-another-plane-crash-in-boston-n2620107

[mountaineer]

The airlines are busily touting how diverse their cockpits are. Coincidence, I'm sure.

[mystery-ak]

 Republicans vow to block Biden FAA pick as Democrats double down
by Karl Evers-Hillstrom - 03/01/23 12:47 PM ET

Senate Democrats on Wednesday rallied behind President Biden’s long-delayed pick to lead the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) while Republicans vowed to block the nomination.

The Senate Commerce Committee has slow-walked the nomination of Phil Washington, the CEO of Denver International Airport, amid questions about his aviation experience and an ongoing corruption investigation related to his tenure as head of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority.

Biden nominated Washington to lead the FAA more than seven months ago.

The FAA has been without a Senate-confirmed administrator for nearly a year amid numerous challenges, most recently struggling with near collisions and a high-profile system meltdown.

At a Commerce hearing on Wednesday, Washington told senators he would aim to swiftly address pressing issues such as a flurry of drones entering the airspace and staffing shortages at the FAA.

“However, to accomplish all these things, we need permanent leadership at the top of the FAA to address the challenges that we have seen in the last several years,” Washington said.

more
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/3879385-republicans-vow-to-block-biden-faa-pick-as-democrats-double-down/

[Smokin Joe]

The airlines are busily touting how diverse their cockpits are. Coincidence, I'm sure.

Learjet 60 took off without clearance

Sounds like someone with means did not feel like the rules applied to them.