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GAO-03-1175R 1 (2003-09-23)

handle is hein.gao/gaobaamhu0001 and id is 1 raw text is: I Accountability * Integrity * Reliability United States General Accounting Office Washington, DC 20548 September 23, 2003 The Honorable James L. Oberstar Ranking Democratic Member Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure U.S. House of Representatives Subject: Aviation Safety: Information on FAA's Data on Operational Errors at Air Traffic Control Towers A fundamental principle of aviation safety is the need to maintain adequate separation between aircraft and to ensure that aircraft maintain a safe distance from terrain, obstructions, and airspace that is not designated for routine air travel. Air traffic controllers employ separation rules and procedures that define safe separation in the air and on the ground.' An operational error occurs when the separation rules and procedures are not followed due to equipment or human error. Data maintained by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) indicate that a very small number of operational errors occur in any given year-on average about three operational errors per day occurred in fiscal year 2002. However, some of these occurrences can pose safety risks by directing aircraft onto converging courses and, potentially, midair collisions. You asked us to provide information on FAA's data on operational errors and whether this data can be used to identify types of air traffic control facilities with greater safety risks. Specifically, you asked us to (1) determine what is known about the reliability and validity of the data that FAA maintains on operational errors and (2) identify whether comparisons of operational errors among air traffic control facilities can be used to determine the facilities' relative safety record. 'The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has established a separation standard in the en route environment of 5 nautical miles horizontally and either 1,000 or 2,000 feet vertically depending on altitude. In the terminal environment, horizontal separation is generally between 3 and 5 nautical miles depending on the type of aircraft. 2 Data reliability refers to the accuracy and completeness of data. We define data as reliable when they are (1) complete and (2) accurate. Reliability does not mean that data are error free, but that the data is sufficient for the intended purposes. Validity refers to whether the data actually represent what one thinks is being measured. See U.S. General Accounting Office, Assessing the Reliability of Computer- Processed Data, GAO-02-15G (Washington, D.C.: Sept. 2002). GAO-03-1175R Operational Errors Data

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