Riaan 
CNN
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UNobhala Wezokuthutha uPete Buttigieg ngoLwesithathu uveze “i-uptick” ezigamekweni zakamuva zezindiza futhi wacela ababambiqhaza engqungqutheleni yezokuphepha ye-Federal Aviation Administration ukusiza ukuthola “izimbangela” zale nkinga.
“Sikhathazeke kakhulu ngoba sibone ukukhuphuka kwezingcingo ezisondelene kakhulu,” kusho u-Buttigieg enkulumweni yakhe yokuvula, ebhekise ochungechungeni lokushayisana kwemigwaqo e-US.
Le ngqungquthela iza ngemuva kokuthi i-FAA ithe iyaphenya olunye ucingo oluseduze phakathi kwezindiza zezentengiselwano. Ucingo oluseduze kakhulu lwakamuva lwalusesikhumulweni Sezindiza Sikazwelonke sase-Reagan eduze kwase-Washington, DC – okwesikhombisa kusukela ekuqaleni kwalo nyaka.
NgoMashi 7, iRepublic Airways Flight 4736 yawela umgwaqo wezindiza, ngaphandle kwemvume, eyayisetshenziswa i-United Airlines Flight 2003 ukuze isuke, ngokusho kokubuyekezwa kokuqala, kusho i-FAA. Umshayeli wendiza we-United ubesanda kuvunyelwa ukuthi ahambe, kusho le nhlangano.
“Umlawuli wethrafikhi yezindiza usibonile lesi simo wabe esesula ngokushesha imvume yokusuka endizeni yase-United,” kusho i-FAA.
Ingqungquthela yezokuphepha ye-FAA eMcLean, eVirginia, ingeyokuqala yalolu hlobo kusukela ngo-2009 futhi iqala ukubuyekezwa okugcwele kwezokuphepha i-ejensi eyenzayo ngemuva kwalezi zigameko.
U-Buttigieg uthe izintshisekelo zezindiza kumele zihlonze “ukuxilongwa okubambekayo kanye nezinyathelo ezithile” zokunciphisa isibalo sokushayisana eduze.
“Kungaba yinto eyodwa uma sithola ucezu oluthile lobuchwepheshe ku-cockpit noma umbhoshongo othile wokulawula lapho bekunezinkinga eziningi,” kusho u-Buttigieg etshela i-CNN. “Kodwa esikhundleni salokho esikutholayo ukuthi abashayeli bezindiza, izisebenzi zaphansi kanye nabalawuli ngokufanayo babonakala behlangabezana nalokhu kuphakama. Abanye bakuchaze njengohlobo oluthile lokugqwala.”
“Ngeke silinde ukuthi kwenzeke into embi kakhulu manje,” etshela i-CNN, wengeza ngokuthi imizamo kufanele iphumele “ekuqinisekiseni ukuthi singakwazi ukusindisa izimpilo ezikhumulweni zezindiza ezweni lonke.”
Enkulumweni yakhe ngesikhathi kuvulwa le ngqungquthela – ebihanjelwe abaphenyi bezokuphepha, abamele imboni, abaholi bezinyunyana nabanye – unobhala wezokuthutha uthe umbuthano “umayelana nohlelo lonke, okusho ukuthi umayelana nathi sonke.”
U-Buttigieg uthe ingqungquthela yangoLwesithathu ingeyokuqala ochungechungeni lwemicimbi edidiyelwe yi-FAA ezoqhuba ukuthola ukuthi yini esebenza kahle nokuthi yiziphi “izinyathelo ezintsha” okufanele zithathwe ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuphepha.
Ukuhamba ngendiza kube nerekhodi eliqinile lokuphepha futhi kuyindlela yokuhamba ephephe kunazo zonke, kusho u-Buttigieg, kodwa “asilokothi” silithathe kalula lelo rekhodi.
Usihlalo weNational Transportation Safety Board utshele abebebambe iqhaza kule ngqungquthela ukuthi abezokuphepha benze izincomo eziyisikhombisa mayelana nokushayisana kwezindiza ezingakashaywa.
“Omunye uneminyaka engu-23 ubudala futhi usafaneleka namuhla kubashayeli bezindiza bexwayisa ngengozi ezayo,” kusho usihlalo wesifazane uJennifer Homendy.
“Kuzodingeka ukuthi sikhiphe kangaki izincomo ezifanayo ngokuphindaphindiwe?” ebuza.
UHomendy uthe usethole udaba olulodwa olujwayelekile mayelana nezigebengu eziyisithupha zemigwaqo yezindiza abayiphenyayo. Esimweni ngasinye, isiqophi sezwi se-cockpit, esaziwa njengelinye lamabhokisi amnyama, sabhalwa ngaphezulu, kwavimbela abaphenyi ukuba bezwe ukuthi kwenzekani endizeni.
“Zonke izinhlaka zikahulumeni lapha namuhla zidinga ukubuza: Ngabe senza konke okusemandleni ukwenza isibhakabhaka sethu siphephe? Besilokhu sizibuza wona lowo mbuzo e-NTSB,” kusho yena.
U-Nick Calio, umongameli kanye ne-CEO ye-Airlines for America, inhlangano yezohwebo emele izinkampani zezindiza ezinkulu, utshele ingqungquthela, “Kuhlale kuqhubeka ukuzihlola.”
UCalio uthe izinkampani zezindiza zibheka ama-data azo ukuze zizame izindlela zokwenza izindiza ziphephe ukuze izingcingo eziseduze emigwaqweni yezindiza, njengalezo eziphenywa yi-NTSB, zingenzeki.
“Angifuni ukuqagela okuningi ngokwenzeka lapho, ngoba zonke ziyaphenywa. Futhi sonke sizama ukunquma ukuthi kwenzakalani. Ingabe lokhu kuwumkhuba? Ingabe lena iphethini?” uthe.
URich Santa, umongameli weNational Air Traffic Controllers Association, waphawula ukuntuleka kwezisebenzi emibhoshongweni yokulawula ukuhamba kwezindiza njengembangela engase ibe imbangela.
“Ngeshwa, sinenkinga yokuqashwa kwabasebenzi njengamanje, njengabalawuli bezindiza. Singaphansi kuka-1 200 ngabalawuli abangochwepheshe abaqinisekisiwe njengoba sasinjalo eminyakeni engu-10 edlule,” esho engqungqutheleni. “Sekuyisikhathi sokuthi sisebenze ngokunemba nangenele ngokwanele ezikhungweni.”
Ibamba le-FAA Administrator uBilly Nolen utshele ingqungquthela ukuthi i-ejensi “iyaqhubeka nokuqasha” futhi isendleleni yokuqasha abalawuli abangu-1,500 kulo nyaka kanye nabanye abangu-1,800 ngonyaka ozayo.
I-NTSB iphenya uhide lokungena komzila wezindiza okubandakanya izindiza zezindiza. Ukushayisana okuseduze kwemigwaqo yezindiza yase-US nakho kubangele abaphenyi bezokuphepha benhlangano ukuthi bavule isibuyekezo esigcwele.
Ngenyanga edlule, indiza yabagibeli yaseNingizimu-ntshonalanga kanye nendiza yempahla ye-FedEx yeza njengoba vala ngamamitha angu-100 kusukela ekungqubuzaneni esikhumulweni sezindiza i-Austin, eTexas, futhi kwakungumshayeli wendiza – hhayi abalawuli bezindiza – abagweme inhlekelele, ngokusho kukaHomendy.
NgoJanuwari, kwakukhona ucingo oluseduze oluthusayo efana nale yakamuva. Indiza yeDelta Air Lines ibisuka esikhumulweni sezindiza saseNew York iJohn F. Kennedy International ngesikhathi abalawuli bezindiza “bebona enye indiza inqamula umgwaqo wendiza phambi kwendiza ebisuka,” kusho isitatimende se-FAA.
