San Carlos Federal Contract Tower (FCT) Information (draft)
San Carlos Airport’s Federal Contract Tower (FCT) is run by Serco, a private company contracted by the FAA. For several years, Serco has been unable to adequately staff the tower. While we understand the controllers who work at the tower are working long hours to provide as much service as they can, the staffing shortage has resulted in chronic issues over the last few years. Pilots who have flown at San Carlos Airport (SQL) have experienced degraded service, lengthy delays, and unplanned closures. If you experience any of these, please file the two reports listed below.
This issue will not fix itself. The FAA needs to understand the severity of this issue and take action. We need your help sending messages to FAA officials encouraging them to replace the San Carlos FCT with an FAA-staffed Air Traffic Control Tower. In coordination with San Carlos Airport management, we’ve put together talking points and template messages. You are welcome to copy one of these, modify it, or use the key talking points to help you craft a message. Please send messages to as many of the contacts listed below as you can. This is our best attempt at getting the FAA to make this necessary change.
Erik Amend
FAA Western-Pacific Regional Administrator
erik.amend@faa.gov
Timothy Arel
COO, FAA Air Traffic Organization
timothy.arel@faa.gov
Shannetta Griffin
FAA Associate Administrator for Airports
shannetta.r.griffin@faa.gov
David Boulter
FAA Associate Administrator of Aviation Safety
david.h.boulter@faa.gov
The San Carlos FCT is staffed by Serco, Inc., a private company.
Serco has been unable to staff the San Carlos FCT for years. They will cyclically hire some controllers, who typically leave after a few months, which leaves the FCT at critical levels of low staffing.
Pilots based at San Carlos often have to travel to other airports to perform pattern operations. Our flight instructors estimate that they have to do 50-80% of their pattern operations at other Bay Area airports. This artificially decreases SQL’s traffic numbers and artificially increases the traffic numbers at other local airports, causing congestion.
FAA ATADS data (total number of operations per year) shows that operations per year at San Carlos have been generally decreasing. We believe that these numbers are false. The Airport’s Vector system shows generally 25% more traffic than the FCT reports. This is because the controllers are expected to click a counter in the tower every time an aircraft lands. Of course, overworked controllers frequently forget or are busy with other tasks.
Controllers at San Carlos FCT have at times been required to work 10 hour days by themselves, with no breaks, including to use the restroom. Even at what Serco considers “full staffing,” the San Carlos FCT is staffed with a single controller for (at least) 3 hours every morning and 3 hours every evening, 7 days per week. The single controller manages both ground and tower frequencies and coordinates with NORCAL TRACON via phone on all IFR arrivals and departures. When the single controller needs to use the restroom, located down a flight of stairs, the tower cab and radios are left unattended.
There is a lack of oversight in the San Carlos FCT. It does not appear that the FAA oversees the tower, and issues only get attention when an unsafe situation occurs and reports are filed.
The chronically low levels of staffing leave one controller working both frequencies combined at nearly all times, which means that there are often lengthy delays for taxi or departure, often up to 30 minutes at a time.
The inability to conduct operations at San Carlos leads to the relocation of noise and operations to other Bay Area airports, congesting other local airports.
These issues have significant impacts on businesses and tenants at the San Carlos Airport. Our customers spend large amounts of money traveling to other airports when SQL is too understaffed or unsafe to permit local operations.
In the interest of safety, the FAA should replace the San Carlos FCT with an FAA ATCT.
Dear ________,
I am writing to express my concerns as a student pilot training at San Carlos Airport (SQL). The understaffing at the San Carlos Federal Contract Tower (FCT) operated by Serco is causing disruptions to my training and poses safety risks to the flying public. I frequently have to travel to other airports to do pattern work and practice takeoffs/landings due to the lack of staff at the San Carlos FCT, leading to unavailability or heavy limitation of pattern operations.
Chronically low levels of staffing leave one controller working both frequencies by themselves, with no supervisor or other person in the tower cab at nearly all times, which means that there are often lengthy delays for taxi or departure, up to 30 minutes at a time. This not only affects my training but also the safety of the flying public due to controller overload. Additionally, controllers at San Carlos FCT have at times been required to work 10 hour days by themselves, with no breaks, not even to use the restroom. Even at what Serco considers “full staffing,” the San Carlos FCT is staffed with a single controller for (at least) 3 hours every morning and 3 hours every evening, 7 days per week. The single controller manages both ground and tower frequencies and coordinates with NorCal TRACON via phone on all IFR arrivals and departures. When the single controller needs to use the restroom, located down a flight of stairs, the tower cab and radios are left unattended.
I urge the FAA to take immediate action to replace the San Carlos FCT with an FAA Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT). This would ensure that the tower is properly staffed and that the training of student pilots like myself can be conducted efficiently and safely. The safety of pilots and the flying public should be the top priority, and the current situation at the San Carlos FCT is not acceptable.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
____________
Dear ________,
I am writing to express my concerns as a pilot who is based at San Carlos Airport (SQL). The understaffing at the San Carlos Federal Contract Tower (FCT) operated by Serco is causing disruptions to my flight operations and poses a safety risk to the flying public.
Chronically low levels of staffing leave one controller working both frequencies combined at nearly all times, which means that there are often lengthy delays for taxi or departure, often up to 30 minutes at a time. This not only affects my flight operations but also the safety of the flying public. Additionally, controllers at San Carlos FCT have at times been required to work 10 hour days by themselves, with no breaks, including no use of the restroom. Even at what Serco considers “full staffing,” the San Carlos FCT is staffed with a single controller for (at least) 3 hours every morning and 3 hours every evening, 7 days per week. The single controller manages both ground and tower frequencies and coordinates with NORCAL TRACON via phone on all IFR arrivals and departures. When the single controller needs to use the restroom, located down a flight of stairs, the tower cab and radios are left unattended. At staffing levels from the past several years, it is incredibly rare to find a time when there is more than one controller at a time working traffic.
In light of these issues, I urge the FAA to take immediate action to replace the San Carlos FCT with an FAA Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) or to find a solution to adequately staff the current tower. This would ensure that the tower is properly staffed and that flight operations can be conducted safely. The safety of pilots and the flying public should be the top priority, and the current situation at the San Carlos FCT is not acceptable.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
______________
Dear ________,
I am writing to express my concerns as a transient pilot who recently experienced issues while flying into San Carlos Airport (SQL). The understaffing at the San Carlos Federal Contract Tower (FCT) operated by Serco poses a serious safety risk to the flying public, and makes many pilots pilots avoid visiting SQL airspace altogether.
During my flight, I experienced lengthy delays for taxi or departure due to the low levels of staffing. One controller was working both frequencies at nearly all times even during times of busy traffic, which is unacceptable and poses a huge safety risk. Additionally, I was informed that controllers at San Carlos FCT are often required to work long hours by themselves, with no breaks, including to use the restroom. Even at what Serco considers “full staffing,” I rarely hear more than one controller on SQL airport frequencies at a time. When the single controller needs to use the restroom, located down a flight of stairs, I’m told that the tower cab and radios are left unattended – this makes me averse to visiting SQL airport, as it endangers me, my passengers, and other aircraft in the airport environment.
As a transient pilot, I was not familiar with the underlying issues at San Carlos FCT, but it is clear that the current situation is not safe. I urge the FAA to take immediate action to replace the San Carlos FCT with an FAA Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT). The safety of pilots and the flying public should be the top priority and the current situation at the San Carlos FCT is not acceptable.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
______________
Dear ________,
I am writing to express my concerns about the safety and operations of the San Carlos Federal Contract Tower (FCT) at San Carlos Airport (SQL). As a member of the local community, I am deeply troubled by the chronic understaffing of the FCT, which is operated by Serco, a private company contracted by the FAA.
I understand that the FCT plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety of both pilots and the general public. However, the chronic understaffing of the tower has led to delays, unplanned closures, and a general degradation of service. This is unacceptable, and I believe it is time for the FAA to take action and replace the San Carlos FCT with an FAA Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT).
Furthermore, I am concerned about the impact of these issues on local businesses. San Carlos Airport is a cornerstone of our community, and the safety and reliability of its operations are vital to the success of local businesses. The FAA’s failure to address the staffing issues at the FCT is putting these businesses at risk.
As a member of the community, I urge the FAA to take immediate action to improve the safety and operations of the San Carlos FCT. I strongly encourage the FAA to replace the FCT with an FAA ATCT, and to take steps to ensure that the tower is properly staffed at all times.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
______________