Top US accident investigator says close calls between planes show that aviation is under stress

abcnews.go.com:

The nation’s top accident investigator says a surge in close calls between planes at U.S. airports this year is a clear warning sign that aviation is under stress

The nation’s top accident investigator said Thursday that a surge in close calls between planes at U.S. airports this year is a «clear warning sign” that the aviation system is under stress.

“While these events are incredibly rare, our safety system is showing clear signs of strain that we cannot ignore,» Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, told a Senate panel on Thursday.

Homendy warned that air traffic and staffing shortages have surged since the pandemic. She said there has been a “lack of meaningful” training — and more reliance on computer-based instruction — by the Federal Aviation Administration and airlines, and too many irregular work schedules among pilots and air traffic controllers.

“Where you end up with that is distraction, fatigue," she told the aviation subcommittee. “You are missing things, you are forgetting things.”

The NTSB is investigating six close calls, or what aviation insiders call “runway incursions.” The FAA identified 23 of the most serious types of close calls in the last fiscal year, which ended Oct. 1, up from 16 the year before and 11 a decade ago. Independent estimates suggest those figures grossly understate such incidents.

Thursday's hearing included only a momentary discussion of pilot mental health, which is on travelers' minds because of the arrest of an off-duty pilot accused of trying to disable a plane in midflight and a co-pilot who allegedly threatened to shoot the captain.

The hearing produced no new ideas for increasing safety but brought a new warning about the potential for travel