Washington – Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is directing that two air traffic controllers be on duty at Reagan National Airport late at night following an incident in which two airliners landed without tower clearance because they couldn’t reach the lone controller.
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LaHood said in a statement he has also ordered the Federal Aviation Administration administrator to study tower staffing at other airports around the country.
An aviation official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the incident, said the controller had fallen asleep. Pilots of the two planes were in contact with controllers at a regional FAA facility about 40 miles away.
Safety officials said controllers at the regional facility were unable to raise anyone at the airport tower by phone.
Knock knock
Who’s there?
No one.
What I don’t understand is, why in this post 9/11 date, and triply so in the DC area, why a non-response from an air traffic control tower (including nothing by phone) didn’t immediately merit a Very Serious Response.
These highly skilled controllers work very long and stressful hours. It is essential they get sufficient sleep to operate at peak sharpness. Thus, the incident was understandable.
Dangerous..
Have them join a union and give them naptime with the TSA
To #3-What do you mean “the incident was understandable”. The controller should be fired! After the helicopter and private plane collision over New York harbor two years ago, we were promised by the FAA that there would be adequate supervision in the tower. This is another example of bureaucratic bungling and incompetence.
To #5 Reagan broke the union!!
The airport has no scheduled flights late at night — either arrivals or departures. This will mean that instead of paying one controller to do nothing, we will be paying two controllers to do nothing.