A-87-053
NTSB Safety Recommendation — Aviation
Recommendation text
THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION: INITIATE A PROGRAM TO SOLICIT CONTROLLER VIEWS AND TO ANALYZE PERTINENT DATA SUCH AS TRAFFIC COUNT REPORTS FROM THE OFFLINE ANALYSIS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (OAMP), EXTRACTED RADAR DATA, AIR-T0-GROUND COMMUNICATION TAPES, ETC., AND USE TOOLS SUCH AS THE AIRCRAFT SITUATION DISPLAY: TO IDENTIFY CRITICAL AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER AND TERMINAL RADAR APPROACH CONTROL SECTORS; TO ESTABLISH CRITERIA FOR THE SECTOR MAXIMUM SAFE TRAFFIC DENSITY IN CRITICAL SECTORS; TO DEVELOP A MEANS FOR PREDICTING PERIODS WHEN TRAFFIC LEVELS MIGHT APPROACH OR EXCEED SAFE LIMITS; AND TO DEVELOP PROCEDURES OR ACTIONS TO PREVENT SECTOR OVERLOAD BY ALTERNATIVE FLIGHT ROUTING, REVISED SECTOR DESIGN, OR ESTABLISHING MORE EFFECTIVE FLOW CONTROL MEASURES.
In plain language (FlightFinder summary)
The NTSB asks the FAA to create a program that gathers controller input and analyzes data (like traffic counts from OAMP, radar data, and communication tapes) using tools such as the Aircraft Situation Display. The goal is to identify critical air traffic control sectors, set maximum safe traffic density limits for those sectors, predict when traffic might exceed those limits, and develop procedures—such as alternative routing or redesigning sectors—to prevent overload.
This plain-language summary is written by FlightFinder to explain the recommendation above. It is not the official wording — the verbatim NTSB text is quoted above.
Details
| Status | Closed - Acceptable Action |
|---|---|
| Mode | Aviation |
| Closed | Feb 28, 1989 |
| NTSB number | 80660 |
| Addressees | FAA |
External links
NTSB safety recommendations are advisory; addressees are not legally required to adopt them. Source: NTSB CAROL (public domain).