AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: INDADEQUATE PLANNING INCREASES RISK OF COMPUTER FAILURES IN LOS ANGELES

In 1988 the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) started a project--the southern California Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) project--to consolidate four TRACON facilities in the Los Angeles basin area by 1995. These facilities control aircraft arriving at or departing from airports in the area. FAA believes this consolidation will help it provide better service in the basin's congested airspace. The General Accounting Office (GAO) made an assessment of the agency's plans to meet the automation needs of the Los Angeles basin's terminal airspace. Results, in brief, are as follows: The airspace in the Los Angeles basin area has experienced more near midair-collision reports than any other location in the United States. Moreover, the four TRACONs in the area have all previously reported computer capacity shortfalls resulting in the loss of aircraft identification information from controllers' screens. FAA has reacted to these shortfalls with stopgap measures designed to keep current, aging systems operating. Due to its lack of a computer capacity and performance management program, FAA does not know if its current automation plan for the consolidated facility will meet future needs. Furthermore, FAA's plan for the consolidated facility does not allow for steep growth in air traffic, involves the procurement of antiquated 1960s computer processors, and assumes that an advanced system will be implemented on schedule in the mid-to-late 1990s. To meet its immediate needs for additional computer capacity, FAA may have little choice other than to upgrade the existing systems with antiquated computers. However, alternatives exist that could better meet future requirements.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Report to Congressional Requesters.
• Corporate Authors:

  U.S. General Accounting Office

  441 G Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20548
• Publication Date: 1990-7

Media Info

• Features: Appendices;
• Pagination: 15 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air traffic control; Alternatives analysis; Automation; Computers; Management; Planning
• Identifier Terms: U.S. Federal Aviation Administration
• Uncontrolled Terms: Capacity
• Geographic Terms: Los Angeles (California)
• Old TRIS Terms: Tracon
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Aviation; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00600587
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: GAO/IMTEC-90-49
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 31 1990 12:00AM