FAA bars flight maneuver after D.C. incident

when crews start refusing clearances to runways with too much of a tailwind component, this "maneuver" will be reauthorized, or delays will pile up.

Instead of addressing the issue as it occurred, the FAA makes another classic knee jerk reaction to "fix" the problem.

so what happens when the weather turns around - landing/takeoffs with a tailwind ?

let's see... tower sees wind shift...must change runway... notifies approach control who notifies center.. looks like they'll have to hold all the inbounds somewhere... pity the poor controller who just accepted 5-6 inbounds then gets shut-off and has to find a place to put them... does this sound safer to you?

Before we know it .. all the "former" military bases may "re-open" so there will be some place for them to land .. then bus them back to the original destination

every airport has a calm wind runway designation.... that is, when the wind is calm RWY xx is always used.. but, it's much bigger than that... a major airport runway in use impacts approach control and center operations. If SFO has to change runways, arrivals and departures out of airports in the area are all effected and the patterns for airports in the area are changed, too... changing runways not a simple operation... that being said, it is possible to allow opposite direction departure or arrival during lulls in activity

(Duplicate Squawk Submitted)

FAA suspends air traffic procedure that preceded close call near D.C.

The Federal Aviation Administration has suspended an air traffic-switching procedure that preceded a close call among three planes last week at Washington's Reagan National Airport, Reuters reports.

http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/post/2012/08/faa-suspends-air-traffic-procedure-that-preceded-close-call/819701/1

This is kind of a knee jerk reaction. Nothing happened, the planes were never even really that close, yet we're freaking out because airplanes are involved. By the reasoning employed here the use of automobiles should have been outlawed well before the Great War.

Can a controller explain this to me please? This article is pretty weak.

I assume they are not preventing airports from changing runways for arrivals and departures based on wind conditions.

It would seem they are Just preventing them from happening together. Basically they are saying traffic has to flow one way. No arrivals and departures heading "straight at each other".

So how long before a bigger accident happens when a plane tries to takeoff or land with a tailwind because ATC no longer has authority to change runway direction?