The Lexington ATC was NOT doing traffic count after he cleared Comair 5191 for takeo

[Jerricho]

I wonder just how Mr Bergquist would far at a senate enquiry. Seems to me he cannot even answer critics on this forum, where he has the time to ponder and compile an answer. Face to face in a court room? Shouting down a committee with the same answer over and over again, then sticking your fingers in your ears with a "La-la-la-la-la I'm not listening La-la-la-la I know the truth la-la-la-la...........". Good luck.

[Hold West]

I don't really want to get involved in this posters obvious campaign against the FAA (he has quite a chip on his shoulder), however, the controller should have been looking out. I don't know what the vis was, but if he could see the threshold he should have visually checked the take-off of the Comair flight; after-all he's an aerodrome controller, working in a Visual Control Room.

ToweringCU, that was not his sole duty. He was also responsible for the radar approach control functions, as well as all administrative functions, being the sole controller present (in contrevention of the FAA's own orders, which specify at least two controllers on duty). He was required to split his attention among these various tasks. Besides which, there is no mandate that a controller stare unblinkingly at an aircraft OR the runway to assure the pilots don't screw up. That wouldn't be possible in any sort of a busy environment, and certainly not when the controller must split his attention between the different functions at hand.

Remember too that, as I point out above, the controller really only had about a 24 second window to recognize the error and make a call to the pilots where it might have made a difference. What did he do during that 24 second period? End of a long mid shift, he might have leaned back in is chair and closed his eyes for a few seconds waiting for Comair to check in and take radar contact. I understand he says he diverted his attention to the traffic count, and I have no reason to disbelieve him.

[Dream Land]

Until the long post showed up I had no idea he was working as an approach controller also, don't know how the FAA can expect any person to cover all the positions at once, I don't think it can be done safely.
Better informed.

[Jerricho]

Oh, I see the Little Chicken has been banned. That's a shame. I would have sincerely liked to have seen how he responded.

[sectordirector]

I am a Charter Member of NATCA and a former NATCA facility representative in the Western-Pacific Region. Although Mr Bergquist is a "former San Diego Country NATCA representative", I cannot recall ever meeting or speaking with the gentleman.

[clicker]

sectordirector

Sounds like you have been very lucky