European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 10, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday August 10, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 7 o Hare controllers called overtaxed surge in errors led to Federal inv Sfigas on Washington up air traffic controllers at Chicago s Busy o Hare Airport often Are overtaxed belong hours heavy traffic and old equipment increasing the chances for catastrophic errors Federal investigators said monday. The National transportation safety Board also said there is a shortage of experienced controllers in Theo Hare Tower and that on the Job training of new con trollers May be inadequate. The Board started an investigation of air traffic control at o Hare in june after a Sharp surge in the num Ber of operational errors by controllers in the first half of the year including several near midair collisions. So far this year the number of operational errors at o Hare is four times the number at Atlanta five time the number at los Angeles and three times the number at Dallas fort Worth it said in a 15-Page letter on it investigation sent to Federal aviation administrator Allan Mcartor whose Agency is responsible for air traffic controls the Nosb said controllers at o Hare the nation second busiest Airport after Atlanta with an average of 2,300 arrivals and departures daily generally believe the Airport is Safe but Are worried they cannot keep it Safe in the future. The safety Board believes the High traffic volume and complexity of flight operations at o Hare Airport. Can increase the potential for human error the letter said. Controllers routinely must work six Days a wee because of a chronic shortage of controllers willing to move to Chicago with its Long harsh Winters and High Cost of living the Board said. In addition demands to handle heavy traffic on an on going basis at o Hare an Airport that has a com plex and demanding airspace and runway configuration May be straining controllers especially during Peak periods when As Many As 170 aircraft take off or land within an hour it said. The Nosb recommended providing incentives to the controllers to accept assignments at o Hare including financial bonuses additional credits toward retirement and priority in Choice of future assign ments. Seven years ago this month president Reagan fired11,500 Faa controllers for taking part in an illegal strike and the Faa has been working to rebuild the air traffic control system since. There Are now about 16,000 controllers. The Board s letter also criticized the Faa for failing to replace outdated equipment in the o Hare Tower saying it is concerned that the second busiest Airport in the United states has not been Given a higher priority to receive the most advanced air traffic control and communications  recommended the Faa install state of the Art equipment As soon As  Nosb an investigatory and advisory body that frequently criticizes the Faa also said on the Job training of new controllers May not be adequate be cause trainees often Are Only marginally qualified and certified controllers assigned to instruct them Are not necessarily Good teachers. Some controllers teaching the newcomers May not have acquired the necessary breadth and depth of experience that seasoned controllers have acquired the letter  Board went on to say that current simulation devices used in training controllers do not come closet duplicating Tower conditions at o Hare. It recommended the Faa identify and provide incentives to those experienced controllers who Demon Strate Good teaching skills and invest in High technology simulators similar to those used to train pilots. The Nosb investigation was spurred by 19 operational errors at o Hare this year including three in the Span of two Days in Early june. In one of those incidents a controller directed a Learjet lr-25 into the path of a United airlines 727jetliner. The two aircraft missed each other by just 200 feet Only when the Learjet Pilot made a last second evasive Man Euver. Deputies Corral gunman after wrong Way Chase Santa Rosa Calif. Up a gun Man hijacked a tractor trailer truck and sped the wrong Way Down a Street for More than a mile monday afternoon hit Ting More than 20 vehicles before com ing to a halt in a swampy Field where he was arrested deputies said. Monte Blevins 35, of Santa Rosa was taken in Handcuffs to a medical clinic where he was treated for possible drug intoxication deputies said. Four motorists were hospitalized and several others suffered minor injuries the Sonoma county sheriffs office said. Blevins allegedly seized the 18-wheel flatbed truck at gunpoint As it left a Lum Ber Yard on the Western outskirts of Santa Rosa firing several shots in the process Sonoma county deputies said. The suspect began ramming other cars on Stony Point Road As he Wen South driving against oncoming traffic the sheriffs office said. The truck travelled through an inter Section and continued South one mile before driving into a flood control ditch where the suspect was arrested by deputies and the California Highway a  than 20 vehicles were hit by the truck and four people were hospitalized deputies said. Deputies charged Blevins with armed robbery attempted homicide and vehicle theft. He was being held without bail. Inhaling laughing Gas leaves 4 people dead Cedar City Utah a two Young men and two Young w9men who were inhaling so called laughing Gas i apparent efforts to get High were found dead monday in a storeroom of a build ing housing a dental clinic. Iron county prosecutor Scott Burns said the four bodies were found shortly before noon in a Small room near an empty tank of nitrous oxide a Gas used by dentists As an aesthetic. Burns identified the victims As Owen Marc Gregerson 18, and Shawn Wil hams 19, both of Cedar City Christine Cherie Miller 20, of Fillmore and mar Garet j. Probert 20, of Scipio. The bodies were sent to the state medical examiner s office for a determination of the cause of death but Burns said preliminary investigation shows they were asphyxiated. It s just a tragic Accident and our hearts gout to the families he said. We be never had injuries or deaths due to nitrous  s common throughout the United states for people to try to gain Access to that to try to get  peace protest a drag Oakland county Mich., sheriff s deputies carry off Michele Martin of de troit one of 25 demonstrators at a cruise missile engine manufacturer in walled Lake Mich. Authorities said 150 per sons were protesting manufacture of the missile s Jet engines at Williams inter National corp. There were no incidents and demonstrators were cooperative police capt. Richard Humble said. Bandit keeps taxi waiting while he pulls Bank Job by the los Angeles times los Angeles a Bandit took a taxi monday to two Banks robbed the second one then hopped aboard shuttle bus to los Angeles International Airport where he made Good his escape police said. Los Angeles police it. Bruce Meyer said the Man took a cab from a Van Guys area Motel to a Bank of America office. He had the cab wait while he entered the Bank and demanded Money from a Teller Meyer said. But the Teller stalled and the robber grew impatient and  had the cab take him to another Bank of Ameri Ca Branch Meyer said. The Man again had the cab wait and went into the Bank carrying a gym bag and indicated to a Teller that he had a gun. This time he was Given about $1,200, Meyer said. The Bandit returned to the waiting cab and had the Driver take him to the shuttle bus terminal at Van Guys Airport Meyer said. At the Airport the robber took an 11 50 . Shuttle bus to los Angeles International Airport. Police located the cab Driver but were unable to Trace the Man s Trail in time to Stop the bus before it reached the  Driver did not know this Guy was robbing Banks the lieutenant said. He thought the Guy had some business he was taking care  Meyer said that by the time police caught up wit the bus it was completing its drop offs at passenger terminals. When officers searched the bus the robber was gone apparently having stepped off and disappeared into the crowd of travellers he said. A one hour search of the Airport area also proved fruitless. Meyer said the Man May be the same robber who relied on Public transportation during a recent Bank robbery in Burbank. In that Case a Man took a cab to Bank robbed it then had the taxi take him to Burbank Airport where he boarded a shuttle bus to los Angeles International Airport and disappeared