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July 9, 2008 4:11:42 AM CDT

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Report Warns of Runway Dangers at US Airports

Posted Dec 5, 07 8:32 PM CST in US    Most Covered

(Newser) – Lax federal oversight and overworked air-traffic controllers contribute to a "high risk" of a major runway collision at US airports, a new report warns. The GAO report cited 370 incidents on runways this year, near a dismal FAA record six years ago that set stricter oversight in motion, the AP reports. The GAO also criticized shoddy equipment used by controllers.

"No single office is taking charge of assessing the causes of runway safety problems,” said the report, commissioned by two Democrats. Progress has been made on pilot training and tarmac markings since an August conference called by the FAA, but the agency "is taking too many chances and ignoring too many red flags," said one senator.

Sources Associated Press, New York Times

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An aerial view of Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Ky. shows the airport's 3,500-foot-long general aviation runway crossing the longer main runway in this Aug. 27, 2006 file photo. There is "a high risk...   (Associated Press)
Airplanes line up for take-off on one of LaGuardia Airport's two runways in New York in this Nov. 24, 2004 file photo. There is "a high risk of a catastrophic runway collision occurring in the United...   (Associated Press)
A plane prepares to land at the Memphis International Airport in Memphis, Tenn., in a Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2007 file photo. (AP Photo/Greg Campbell, File)   (Associated Press)
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