I'm going to post my thoughts on the Com5191 crash here. They are unofficial, and if I posted them on the CB or something I'm sure I would get flamed. The airport (LEX) is about an hour east of my airport (SDF). It is a very low volume airport, there is not very much traffic there. Officially, they are level 7, while we are level 9. (Places like ORD and ATL are level 12).
First, the issue of the pilot taking off the wrong runway. When they show those pictures of the airport, they are shot from above. Airport layouts are often very confusing. Taxiways aren't labeled the same way roads are. They are labeled with signs on posts off to the side that have arrows on them pointing the direction of the named taxiway. These are usually named by letters. So there will be a post with a "D" on it and an arrow. Lines are painted on the pavement that show when you are getting ready to cross another taxiway or runway. The route looks very simple at LEX, however it was dark. There are no street lights (overhead type) on taxiways. There are blue lights on the sides of the taxiways showing you the way. Once again, from above this looks simple, but on the ground, these lights are very far apart. If you aren't familiar, you can get confused. I have seen it happen MANY times. Usually pilots of small aircraft, but not always. Also, runways are NOT FLAT. I know it looks like they are, but most runways have changes in elevation up and down. So when the pilot looks down the runway, they dont see the end. They see up to the first slight hill. So it would not be hard to depart a shorter runway and not be able to tell the length. However, I cannot explain away departing on the wrong runway, once the pilot turned, they should have noticed the wrong heading, and the lack of lights.
The reroute mentioned on tv. They mentioned the change of taxi route. New rules (relatively speaking) require overruns on the runways. Remember when the Southwest ran off the end of the runway in the storm a couple of years ago? Well, that was pilot error, but they decided overruns would help. Well, of course more concrete is always better, you can't argue with that. My airport (SDF) runways are new enough that they were built with the overruns. LEX and most smaller airports were not. Don't be fooled into thinking that they added an overrun at these airports. What they did was actually shorten the posted length of the runway, and adjust where the entrance to the runway is. In other words, prior they had 7300 ft, no overrun, now 7000 ft, 150 ft overrun on the ends. (I'm estimating distances here, but you get the picture). So they couldnt use the old taxiway because it went to the old end of the runway, which is now the overrun. Hence that confusion.
The controller didnt see it happen. This is quite possibly the worst thing that happened (when I say this, I mean it could have been avoided here). He is on trauma leave now and who knows if he will ever be okay again. I'm sure everyone will think I am just taking up for the controller because it could be me next time. Well maybe I am. The media keeps reporting (the FAAs line) that there was only 1 controller due to a drop in traffic. This is a lie. There is no other way to say it. There has never been traffic on a sunday night midnight shift, there has been no change. This is an excuse. What the issue is, is there is not adequate staffing to put 2 controllers on this mid. There is not staffing because the FAA has refused to hire. 2 years ago they gave congress a hiring plan for 12000 new controllers in 10 years. It is now 2 years later and they just gave congress a hiring plan with 12000 controllers in 10 years. They simply didnt hire. They are imposing new rules on sunday (labor day weekend, thats no coincidence). After that the new payscale allows them to hire in new controllers starting at 18,000 a year. I dont even have to comment on that.
But I digress, back to the controller. They have reported that he was doing 2 jobs. Actually he was working Local (thats the cleared for takeoff one) ground, clearance delivery, radar and supervisor duties (thats the paperwork one.) Should he have seen it happen? Absolutely. In his mind (I am putting myself there) there is only one runway. The shorter runway is published as a VFR (visual flight rules ) runway for daytime use only. It would not occur to the controller that the pilot would use it. Its required to scan the runway before clearing an aircraft for takeoff. I'm sure he did. This aircraft "took it on the roll" This means he called before getting to the runway and said he was ready. The controller clears him for takeoff and he doesnt stop, just takes the runway and rolls. This happens all the time. Southwest almost always takes it on the roll, if traffic permits. The news says he then turned his back. This probably doesnt mean all the way backwards. He probably turned to the side and looked down to fill in the paperwork. Remember if the aircraft had gone all the way to the other runway, he would have had a few seconds to do this, before the aircraft got there. Also, he was working radar as well. You have to look at the radar screen to work radar. So this guy did his paperwork, someone called on the radar frequency, and he turned and looked at the scope. It was only 29 seconds. I am definitely not saying this was ok. I do believe if there was another controller in the tower this very well may not have happened. Controllers stop this kind of thing all the time. Seriously . All the time. I had a Delta taxi out via a route I gave him just yesterday, and he turned the wrong way on a taxiway. If he's a Delta pilot then he's got lots of experience, this just happens.
Just for more info, you may be wondering how LEX, if short-staffed, is able to now put 2 people on the mids. Well one is coming from my facility to help out until they get someone else, and one is coming from CVG. I'm not sure about CVG, but giving one to LEX puts us eleven people below our staffing numbers.
Now, the biggie. The controller had worked a day shift on saturday, then just got 2 hours of sleep, before working a mid-shift. Welcome to my world. ALL FACILITIES STAFF THIS WAY. This is standard OP. I think if you have read many of my posts here, you have seen me complain about it. It is horrible. I have been telling my friends for 20 years...."dont fly after 11pm because the controller most likely worked a day shift and hasnt had any sleep. I am curious how the FAA is going to get around this. If you work a day shift, and then are scheduled a mid, your body simply will not let you sleep more than a couple of hours. The only way I have been able to get more a 2 hours, is to short myself on sleep the night before. In other words, before my 6am shift, I might stay up until midnite, get 4 hours of sleep so that I will be very tired, and can maybe get 3.5 hours of sleep before a mid. This is the most sleep I have ever gotten before a mid. 3.5 hours. Usually at the beginning of the mid you are ok, but at 4am or so you "hit the wall". Yes we have a term for it, its that common. You hit the wall at 4 and still have 2 or so hours left before relief comes. The difference between my facility and most others is , most others like LEX, have only a few airplanes overnight. We have hundreds because we have UPS. So our busiest, most complex traffic is worked by our most sleep deprived controllers. Just something to think about.
What do I think the FAA will do? As far as changing rules, etc. Well they could make our current schedule illegal. But what would they give us to replace it? So far this year they have taken away pay, and differentials, taken away vacations, and just yesterday they took away chow runs. Yes, they took away our ability to get food while at work. We have never had a lunch hour like other employees. Since we didnt, we have ALWAYS been able to send one person on a chow run. One person to go get burgers or chicken or tacos or subs for the entire facility so we could eat. Now its illegal, bring your food or starve. Nice. So I dont think any changes will be the "nice " ones. More likely we will be told now we have to work an week of mids then a week of days, etc. As if your body can get used to that either. But it would be a change, and until the next catastrophe happens they would be off the hook. I'm sorry I sound cynical, but I have completely lost faith in the FAA as an employer, and as a safety organization.
The FAA could also just require sleep rules. In other words, we would keep the same horrible schedule, but be required to state that we had "X" amount of sleep prior to working. This wont help, as I stated before, you cant force your body to sleep. (we arent allowed to take sleeping pills or anything of course). This would strictly be a CYA for the FAA. It would then be the controllers fault, not the FAAs, that they didnt get the required sleep. I anticipate seeing this ( sent as a memo ) within a few days.
Another thing the FAA might do, is do away with "taking it on the roll". they may require a aircraft to get to the runway and stop before calling the tower ready. I can see this happening within days. (the FAA likes to make changes very quickly after an aciident). They could then require the controller to insure when the aircraft calls he's on the right runway.
I know this is a long boring post to you guys, but I wanted to say something about the stuff thats going on now, and like I said, I didnt want to be flamed over on the CB.
Later guys, I have to go shopping and buy some ugly khaki pants and shirts with collars for the new gestapo "dress code" thanks for listening.
Theres nothing in there about a scarf. He says no hats. I say its not a hat, its holding my hair back. He says take it off. So I go into the bathroom and take it off and roll it up all the way so its just a headband now, not covering my head at all. I go in and say...hows this, its a headband now. Nope. Take it off. I say you have got to be kidding..my hair is gonna fall in my eyes. He say...I'll go check with the chief (manager). Comes back...Take it off. I said..you know i'm gonna grieve this right? He says I'm just doing my job. I say ....you kidding me.. this is your job?
Yea! Rah! MY son got put in the "fast paced" Algebra course! whatever that means 
It makes me want to barf. Is that wrong?
I cried at work yesterday, and last night when I got home. My supervisor, who just got back from "culture shock school" jumped all over me the first minute he saw me. I wont go into it, it was resolved today with a meeting with my union rep but it was so shocking to me that he did it that I pretty much felt like the entire rug was pulled out from under me. I guess I was silly expecting him to not have drank the koolaid. (thats bad grammer but I'm not sure whats correct...drunk???) 
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