The phrase “The Buck Stops Here,” first popularized by President Truman, has achieved virtual iconic status in America politics ever since. After the Bay of Pigs disaster, for example, President Kennedy invoked the phrase, earning plaudits for his leadership, despite the debacle.
Sometimes, but rarely, leaders will not only step up but resign, as was the case this week with Hank Krakowski, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization (ATO). Krakowski either resigned voluntarily or was forced to resign after a spate of reported incidents of air traffic controllers falling asleep on the job.
The problem is, no matter how it happened, voluntarily or forced, serving up a sacrificial lamb does nothing but paper over the core problem and temporarily satisfy the blood lust of the political wolves on Capitol Hill and across town in the Secretary’s office or perhaps even the White House — and quiet, even charm, the news media. (See Washington Post column: “FAA official deserves a statue for stepping down.”)
To be fair to FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt, he probably had no choice but to request and/or accept Hank’s resignation — and he probably needs to watch his own back — because the political pressures are still enormous. He knows that the real problem was not Hank, but a failure of professionalism and accountability at the point of the spear — by the very small number of controllers who fell asleep on the job.
Virtually from the day he arrived at the FAA, Randy Babbitt has been preaching the importance of developing a culture of professionalism throughout the organization, down to the grass roots level. As a former pilot, he knew first hand that his performance and professional conduct on the flight deck did not depend on the airline’s Vice President of Operations, the Safety Officer, or his line boss, but on him. Hank Krakowski, a former pilot himself, believed and preached exactly the same message.
Leaders several layers above the airport tower cab – or even one or two layers removed – can only set the right tone, the right rules of conduct and responsibility, and follow up appropriately. But, ultimately, the people in the trenches must step up and hold themselves accountable.
In sports, when a team is struggling, the teams with genuine potential for improving and becoming winners are not those who expect just the perfect coach or manager to come through the turnstile before they start playing like professionals. They’re the teams with players who police themselves and hold themselves accountable and with player/leaders in their midst who will get in the faces of those who don’t.
The chances of that happening in air traffic are probably not strong because of the tendency of its union, often with strong political backing, to circle the wagons and blame management whenever one of its own gets in trouble. That’s unfortunate because the conduct of a very small number of controllers is darkening the reputation of the overwhelming majority of controllers who hold themselves accountable for the highest standard of professional conduct.
Frankly, that’s where the real damage is being done – to public trust in the safety of the aviation system. Despite some breathless news reporting, the danger to the airline passengers in the planes involved in the recent sleeping incidents was fortunately not nearly as great as reported. Airline pilots have their own on-board resources and contingency plans for dealing with such a situation. But, the loss of public confidence in the safety of the air traffic control system — which is incredibly safe by any standard of measurement — is being gradually eroded. And paying for another controller to staff the midnight shift or bringing in a fresh COO, no matter how qualified, is mere window dressing and won’t address the core issue.
Ultimately, the buck should stop where it starts.
Gerald E. Lavey
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