Close Call Incidents Rise in Fiscal Year 2016

FAA reports over 1,500 tarmac incidents, 19 close call incidents over the last 12 months.

Despite efforts to increase safety measures at American airports, close-call incidents continue to rise at American airports, putting flyers and airport workers at risk. According to data collected by The Wall Street Journal, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported over 1,500 tarmac incidents at airports in the 2016 Fiscal Year, with 19 actual close call incidents between aircraft.

The data defines tarmac incidents where aircraft get too close to other aircraft or ground vehicles while taxing. According to the information provided by the FAA, there were over 1,560 reported tarmac incidents over the 12-month period ending in September 2016. The number is up by over 120 incidents in the previous year.

Runway incursions, where many of the close call incidents take place, also rose in frequency as well. The FAA reported that there were 19 of these events in fiscal year 2016, accounting for around 3.8 close calls per 10 million flights in the United States.

The close calls come at a time where both the FAA is receiving increased scrutiny over their implementation of the NextGen program, while lawmakers work on a long-term solution to fix air traffic control infrastructure. At the beginning of 2016, a report surfaced from the Office of the Inspector General claiming a distinct shortage of air traffic controllers in the United States. This was followed by multiple calls to privatize air traffic control in the United States.

Even the airline industry has been divided on how to solve the American air traffic control issue. Both American Airlines and Delta Air Lines have gone on the record with conflicting ideas, while Airlines for America has called for “transformational changes” in American skies.

The data collected by the FAA encompasses 50 million flights across the United States, ranging from personal, private and commercial flights.

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