"Traffic is a Space Shuttle on short final"

I sure thought this photo looked fake, but it comes straight from the boys at NASA and the Kennedy Space Center. The image shows the Space Shuttle Discovery as it makes its final approach to Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at the KSC. The mission wrapped up on June 14 as STS-124 with the landing that took place mere seconds after this photo was taken with the orbiter over the approach lights. Pretty crazy shot. I've seen a lot of aircraft head-on during final, but this one takes the cake. Image cropped a bit to better squeeze within the already limiting confines of the blogosphere.

click on the image for a larger version

Photo credit: NASA/Kevin O'Connell, Scott Haun

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Dallas Air Traffic Controllers Lied (and then got canned)

Dallas-Fort Worth Terminal Radar Approach Control (Tracon) management investigated errors and pilot deviations, but misclassified them as pilot errors or non-events, according the the FAA. That conclusion was reached after an investigation by the Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General (OIG).

The OIG report, prompted by some beloved whistleblowers' allegations, determined that between November 2005 and July 2007, Tracon managers misclassified 62 air traffic events as pilot deviations or non-events when, in reality, there were 52 operational errors and 10 operational deviations.

The FAA has since "removed" both the facility manager and assistant manager at the DFW Tracon. Some other DFW controllers may also be without a job soon. The OIG report will be investigated further by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel. The FAA's already in progress Traffic Analysis Review Program will be implemented ahead of schedule -- at DFW Tracon by then end of 2008 and nationwide by 2009.

Don't you feel safe knowing pilots are being blamed for air traffic controllers' screw ups? Wonder what other Tracons have been up to.

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