U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board has raised concerns over the rise in airplane close calls.
The NTSB, headed by Jennifer Homendy made this known during an interview with ABC, while also pointing that the Federal Aviation Administration needs to take action.
When asked by anchor Martha Raddatz if “very close calls” are ” on the rise,” Homendy responded that they “are on the rise.” “The FAA needs to take action,” Homendy said. Homendy said that the NTSB held a forum in 2017 that found there were 1,300 reports of “runway incursions that year, now, we’re over 1,600.”
“Five, six years ago we called for better technology at airports,” Memendy said. “Technology that would notify air traffic control, technology that would notify pilots that there was a potential incursion. One of those recommendations has been open for 23 years. The FAA needs to take action.”