I used drugs on the job as an FAA air traffic controller and Congress won't let me testify. To Whom It May Concern, My name is James Bergquist, former USAF and FAA air traffic controller. I was also head of our union, NATCA, for San Diego County. I represent other FAA whistle blowers including airline pilots, Boeing and DOD wiring experts, two FAA airline inspectors, a FAA security inspector, and a mechanic. I have never used any drugs on the job, but used to smoke pot after work while still signed in at the tower. In desperation, as I was technically using drugs "while on duty", I contacted members of the Senate Commerce Committee and the Aviation Subcommittee of Congress, telling them I used on the job and wanted to testify to them in open hearings. See the response I got from our leaders who are supposed to be looking out for the safety of the American people.... Here you have a log of calls I made to John McCain, Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee... http://www.flight592.com/Flight592Discussion-Current/_disc10/000004e7.htm and calls I made to members of the Aviation Subcommittee.... http://www.flight592.com/Flight592Discussion-Current/_disc10/000004e2.htm
I have a tape of one on my co-workers telling me the drug dealer told her I used drugs in the tower with him. I never used at work but used to smoke at home after work. He admitted using in the tower, I can only assume he told her about this incident in an attempt to get me to shut up about the drug use. She later reported him for drinking on the job. I have been working local control and seen smoke out the window, leaned forward, and seen the drug dealer blowing smoke at the glass from the catwalk. He wasn't sucking on a Marlboro. I produced a statement from a roommate of mine who stated she went with me to the drug dealer's home and he proudly pointed out 50 pot plants to her. I counted over 100 plants. He had 55 gallon trash containers full of pot and used to sell it when he and I would go to the FAA towers around San Diego when I was head of the union, NATCA. I played that tape to Congressman Duncan Hunter personally and played it for the San Diego press. I sent copies to the aviation subcommittee and the Clinton and Bush administrations. This controller was in the US Navy air traffic control school, was busted for dealing drugs, was kicked out of the school, and given a job pushing a mop. He then got busted a second time for dealing. The FAA hired him with no ATC experience after President Reagan fired the PATCO controllers in 1981. That is how desperate the FAA was to fill the ranks. They fired thousands of alcoholics and hired thousands of drug users to replace them. I and all the rest of us used to leave the tower with one controller on duty. We were still signed on the log and collecting the taxpayer's money while the tower was dangerously undermanned. So I was using pot while I was still signed on the log at the tower. I admit it. Busted! Read my material, I talk about all of this at length in my open letter to President Bush and before to President Clinton. I personally handed my material to President Clinton while he was vacationing in San Diego. I have a tape of him saying, "I will be happy to take your material" Why don't I see anyone posting here that they contacted the members of the aviation subcommittee, Senator John McCain, Congressman Chandler from Lexington, Ky., or the press asking for hearings into my allegations. Let's get to the bottom of this, call all those Congressmen up and demand an investigation. That's their job. You can see this little heretic thrown in jail for lying to Congress if you don't believe what I'm saying. To quote Al Bundy...."Let's rock!"
Why do we have to hear about how much drugs you "seen" and and why someone wrote to president whoever about controllers and drugs and how they shouldn't have been fired?
Ahum......OK ,I'm a little confused but correct me if I'm wrong . You used drugs and admitted it .Good for you. Are you saying your upset or feel you've been wronged or unfairly treated by not being able to testify in hearings or something that are part of the FAA?? If the above is true sorry to say but I'd agree w/ the FAA. NOTE ... personally I don't care if you smoke pot (it was many years ago and so did I,no I didn't work at a tower or anything similar),Nor am I an "anti-drug" advocate "BUT" I'm sure that I would want strict controlls/deterent penalties against drug use in the workplace ;especially in ATC . Just my thoughts "opinion" ETC..... MY355
The attempted point that is being made here is not about the drugs and where it was used but the perceived lack of ethics and competency of the FAA/Government when it came to (has come to) the hiring of personnel for traffic control jobs. In other words, his words, don't be so surprised by the operational process failures of traffic controllers nationwide when there are accidents and near misses involved on the ground or in the pattern. This is due to the poor screening and hiring practices of the FAA or the Government or the Contractor of the week. The MAIN point being, in his words, as I understand them, IT'S THE GOVERNMENTS FAULT FOR THESE ACCIDENTS AND NOBODY IS DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT Close enough? I am under the impression this person's diatribe is the result of condemning the tower controller in the recent Comair 5191 crash on the deactivated runway?
Okay, forget the confession and the fingers pointing at the FAA. The real problem is still crew error in the Comaire crash and the tower has no responsibilty in what the flight crew did. Neither does the FAA have have a hand in the error. The tower operator properly assigned the active runway and the flight crew had the responsiblity set itself up as directed. Sure, it would have been great if the controller had been able to catch the error of the Comaire crew BUT that wasn't his job, it was the job of the crew in the airplane after repeating the assignment to get set up on the right heading on the active runway. That's the way I feel about it.
Spasso and switches off, If you read my posts carefully, at no time do I say the Comair pilots were not ultimately responsible for this crash. But the reason for having air traffic controllers is to stop something like this from happening in the first place. Controller error was a BIG contributing factor. The FAA tower manager bears a large responsibility for not complying with the FAA's directive about manning. ARTCC didn't know they were suppose to take over the radar responsibility because they had no idea the controller at Lexington was the only one on duty.
It's all about positioning in the union battle, is it not? Again, I have nothing but sympathy for controllers, but do we really need the union stuff here? Isn't there a union messageboard where you could post this stuff? OTOH, I guess it builds post counts for Rob, so that's not all bad!
Donv, I'm not a member on NATCA, but have asked others to post there or other union forums. Anyone post this material on your union sites? anyone?
................and this is happening all over the country AND probably 10 fold or more in other countries. I don't see it changing much anytime soon.
Spasso, Well it's not going to change at all until someone other than me gets involved. That's what I'm doing here, trying to get all of you to pull your heads out of the sand and call the press. If everyone says "you can't fight city hall", then noboby will be able to.
I find it VERY difficult to believe that YOU are the only one with enough concern to become involved. There are already venues on the internet that are addressing the same issues you are but in a different manner and with different material. Maybe you should offer your assistance there to bolster their existing framework..
Google is your friend....................... Type in a few key words and you'd be surprised what would pop up. This isn't the only aviation forum or organization on the net
I am sorry, but I find it hard to find any credibility in someone that admits they were still on duty and were using drugs as an air traffic controller, as you do above. Technically really doesn't matter, you can't be a little bit pregnant, you were still signed in on duty and were impaired. Then you have the nerve to post information in 3 different places trying to blame the controller for the tragedy in KY. Do you REALLY think that congress would let an admitted illegal drug user while on duty as ATC testify? Just my .02 Mark B
MarkB, Who is more like to tell the truth about illegal druguse by air traffic controllers? 1. A non-druguser, who may or may not be aware of it. 2. A drug-user who wants to protect himself and his $100,000 job, or 3. A confessed drug-using controller? DUH! Pick a door, any door.
Do you not see? You lost all credibility when you were supposed to be controlling aircraft and people lives but you were impaired. What would make congress think that you wouldn't be stoned when you sat in front of them? If you will endanger lives by your illegal habit, why would they not think you would sit at table in front of them impaired? To answer you question, I have always known when drugs were going on at my place of employment, doesn't take a rocket engineer to recognize it, and yes it was reported and they were fired! Mark B.
