NTSB: Tower Staffing Reviewed After Controller Sleeps Through Landings at Reagan National
- Posted on March 24, 2011 at 12:23am by
Scott Baker
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Two airliners landed at Reagan National Airport near Washington without control tower clearance because the air traffic supervisor was asleep, safety and aviation officials said Wednesday.
The supervisor — the only controller scheduled for duty in the tower around midnight Tuesday when incident occurred — had fallen asleep, said an aviation official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the incident.
The National Transportation Safety Board is gathering information on the occurrence to decide whether to open a formal investigation, board spokesman Peter Knudson said.
The pilots of the two commercial planes were unable to reach the tower, but they were in communication with a regional air traffic control facility, Knudson said. That facility is in Warrenton, Va., about 40 miles from the airport.
Regional air traffic facilities handle aircraft within roughly a 50 mile radius of an airport, but landings, takeoffs and planes within about three miles of an airport are handled by controllers in the airport tower.
After pilots were unable to raise the airport tower by radio, they asked controllers in Warrenton to call the tower, Knudson said. Repeated calls to the tower went unanswered, he said.
The planes involved were American Airlines flight 1012 and United Airlines flight 628T, Knudson said.
The Federal Aviation Administration released a statement confirming the incident.
“The FAA is looking into staffing issues and whether existing procedures were followed appropriately,” agency spokeswoman Laura Brown said in an email.
It’s unlikely the safety of the planes was at risk since the pilots would have used a radio frequency for the airport tower to advise nearby aircraft of their intention to land and to make sure that no other planes also intended to land at that time, aviation safety experts said. At that time of night, air traffic would have been light, they said.
Also, controllers at the regional facility, using radar, would have been able to advise the pilots of other nearby planes, experts said.
The primary risk would have been if there were equipment on the runway when the planes landed, they said.
But the incident raises serious questions about controller fatigue, a longstanding safety concern, said John Goglia, a former NTSB board member.
“You have to watch your schedules to make sure (controllers) have adequate rest,” Goglia said. “It’s worse when nothing is going on. When it’s busy, you have to stay engaged. When it’s quiet, all they have to be is a little bit tired and they’ll fall asleep.”
Aviation experts emphasized the unusual nature of the incident.
“I‘m not sure that in all the years I’ve been flying airplanes that I can recall coming into a major airport and I couldn’t get hold of a controller in the airport tower,” said aviation safety consultant John Cox, who spent 35 years as an airline and corporate pilot.
However, planes, including smaller airliners, land all the time at small airports that don’t have control towers or controllers to clear landings.
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Comments (53)
LiveNation
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 11:00amObviously a major screw up. All within a skip of the White house, congress and the Pentagon. Watch the union will protect this guy (nothing would happen to him) and blame will be placed on the first non-union person in the chain of command.
Report Post »poppop13
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 10:38amThe guy that fell asleep is really a hero! At the blink of eye he provided job security for an extra union member. We need a lot more folks like him. If everyone did this we could put the 7 million people laid off to work.
Report Post »Faroutright
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 11:21amWhat if he wasn’t asleep at all? What if the whole situation is just a setup, intended to advance Labor’s interests? Would you put it past them to do this?
Report Post »hempstead1944
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 9:28amunion employee……
Report Post »Lloyd Drako
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 12:28pmWait a minute–didn‘t Reagan break the ATControllers’ union 30 years ago?
More likely just stressed and fatigued from his shift at Starbuck’s, like the copilot of the plane that augered in near Buffalo a while back.
Report Post »DVPFLA
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 9:03amWell let’s look on the bright side. I understand this government worker is going to be considered for an important job running Obamacare. Don’t you worry now.
Report Post »LadyIzShy
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 8:55amgovernment workers at thier best.. fire this one and investigate why someone else didnt notice it happening
Report Post »FAXXON
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 8:06amThis is not unusual. I remember an incident where a controller fell and broke his leg going to the mem’s room. He was on duty, ALONE, on the midnight shift when traffic is light. Staff the facility with minimum of 2 controllers. Problem solved. Otherwise, it WILL happen again.
Report Post »fly892
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 8:01amAs long as there is a 3rd shift…….There will be times when you are going to rest your head for just a minute….And the acft has made it to the gate without assist…….It has happened since airplanes flew at night. Turn that around…How many has seen a scheduled flight pass over the tower then come back in 15 minutes….The crew had fallen asleep…….What a shock…..(not)
Report Post »farmerpat42
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 7:50amIn the end – this was a minor hiccup, not to excuse the laziness, but there are protocals for times like this and the pilots followed them. The vitrol being thrown at an airtraffic controller over this is embarassing. He’ll get punished enough and this incident will cause the FAA to reevaluate tower coverage policies.
Report Post »dancermommd
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 7:17amI didn’t think planes could take off or land after 10:30 at night…
Report Post »szabla
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 6:41amClearly, this shows controllers are “not” needed. The technology works, get rid of the useless mouths in the towers.
Report Post »Let us see if these dolts can find work say at a fast food drive through.
teddrunk
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 6:36amIf they didn’t need the tower people, then get rid of them all together.
Report Post »BJAlexandria
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 6:32amYou have no idea what you’re talking about, CGRANT. NATCA and the FAA DO have a contract. It’s called the “Red Book.” In fact because of that negotiated contract, air traffic controllers are the ONLY federal employees that Obamabot‘s salary freeze doesn’t effect. They’re getting their 3% this year, with steadily yearly increases for the remainder of the contract.
Report Post »cgrant
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 1:02pmOK, the have the CBA “Redbook”. I have been retired for a few years, so I admit being out of touch. But as I remember this CBA was never ratified. Instead it was imposed by arbitration. As an experienced ATC I don’t mind correction, but you had better be 100% correct when you do so.
Report Post »I was reffering to the last ratified contract.
The majority of posts I have seen on this subject are made be individuals who know nothing about the ATC professionals who keep them safe everytime they fly or the job they are doing.
Chicago Ray
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 2:56amThis is more proof like every ten years all government Union employees in Public service paid with tax dollars need to reapply for their jobs to see if they still qualify, opening them up to other people who are more hungry for work and far less complacent than people who only get fired when they crash a plane or die in many cases.
No red flags then no problems, go back to work. Something to hide, like 3 DUI’s or a rape arrest or Tax cheats, those types of people who have no business in any government job, these people for what they make should be the best and brightest we can find, not an affirmative action merry go round.
This way they run new background checks revealing all the potential troublemakers who’ve accumulated arrests and convictions for who knows what, who’ve become security threats because of financial problems, just to weed out the lowlives in this big behemoth we call the US government,
Report Post »jim
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 2:33amSomebody was out late at the club… that’s okay, under union collective bargaining contracts, all air traffic controllers get excused automatically from up to 10 “sleep” incidents on the job… probably…
Report Post »Cherynn
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 2:18amWe’re loafin on the job with your safety in mind. I need a raise, I dont get paid enough to sleep on this stress full job. I want 6 weeks of paid vacation. I need to take nap. Listing our demands wears me out. Wake me up if the boss comes around.
Report Post »kularobin
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 1:09amunion….again??? he wont lose his job…he”ll get a cool rubber room
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 1:59amWith a cot.
Report Post »Fina Biscotti
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 1:01amSomeone posted information on UNION workers in Aviation – how they are slobs and do nothing – skirt getting written-up for offenses that would have any other employee fired – bc of intimidation tactics of union bosses – and how union workers take long multiple coffee breaks and can barely be found after lunch time.
Report Post »Sooty3250
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 12:47amUnion workers,,,,
And we are to belive only a single person was on duty in that tower?
there should have been at least 3 to handle the positions of Flight Data/Clearance Delivery, Ground Control, and Local Control as well as a supervisor.
Will the Three Unions , National Air Traffic Controllers Association, Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (AFSCME) and Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization Defend ? or refute such incompentence
Report Post »cgrant
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 12:46amThe union contract, when controllers had one, required two controllers on duty during the mids. Now there is no contract and obviously the FAA has chosen to cut staffing during those periods. The guy shouldn’t have fallen asleep, but he should have had backup in the tower. Think about it, they can’t even go to the bathroom when they are by themselves on duty. Also, there wasn’t a “supervisor” on duty except that one controller is called “Controller in Charge” in the absence of formal supervison.
Report Post »Salamander
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 12:43amNext time, when trying to raise the tower at night, hit the gear alarm test button and key the mike! That should get results! Maybe they could add a message to the anticollission system: Instead of Pull up, Pull up, the pilot could press the ‘tower alert’ button and get “Wake up, Wake up”? I think this supervisor might want to send his resume to the two pilots that recently slept for 100 miles past their checkpoint (what’s that, a 20 minute cat nap? I understand they’re not flying (for the same airline?) after that slip-up!) I‘m surprised that TRACON didn’t call the tower by telephone–the guy might have had a medical issue and needed help! There might have been a fire or power interruption. There might have been an invasion of the facility. Or, the poor guy might have dropped his ID card into the hopper when taking care of said Mexican food (I like Mexican food, but sometimes it doesn’t like me!)
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 12:45amYou need to head the air traffic controllers!
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 2:23amRather, WE need for you to head the traffic controllers!
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 12:39amThat is serious stuff! It was an airport!
I’ve approached a bridge and requested an opening for our sailboat, but the bridge tender was asleep. We had a tabernacle mast, and I can’t remember if it was up or down, but I think it was up, making us 48 feet high. My husband told me to take it outside the fenders of the bridge and to go very slow. We cleared with only an inch or two, and that river (Cape Fear) had tide levels. “Puppy,” as I called him, made a phone call when we got home. Never had any problems at that bridge again.
If we could not have gotten under it, we would have dropped the anchor. There’s a problem with an airplane. They can’t drop an anchor, but I do know that radar overlaps from point to point in a flight.
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 12:46amShow
Report Post »Bought my Mariner 31 Ketch in Edenton NC and sailed it to New London , Ct
, Great Trip . Single handed the Chesapeake
Showtime
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 1:51am13th (ooooh, my lucky number!), I could tell you some STORIES about our trips from Castle Hayne, NC, to Marathon, FL!
I loved sailing! I was the diesel mechanic, the first and “last” mate, the captain (on the last trip), did the electrical work, cleaned it inside and out, was the one to go up the mast, did the splicing on the lines, and even figured out how to solve a few problems we had! When I wrote for the newspaper, I had a regular weekly column, and then I decided I’d write another one about boating! That was fun!!! “Aboard The Palms.”
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 1:56am13th, ours was a 1972 GulfStar, 36′ motor/sail, 80 hp Ford Lehman diesel engine, Paragon transmission, Simms fuel injection. The Coast Guard boarded us one time, and I asked why. He said it was a safety check. I got out my book and said, “Okay. We’ll start here on page one.” (How many pages? About 50! Puppy was standing over next to us laughing! He knew with me, the CG had bit off more than they could chew!)
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 10:45amShow
Report Post »Nice to meet a fellow Ragboater. I do all the work stem to stern. Got bullhhorned by a CG secrity boat for sailing too close(converging courses) to a Fast Attack Sub off Montaulk Pt (LI). Guess they were afraid of my 5 Kt sailboat catching up to a sub going 20KTS. Fair Winds
13th Imam
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 12:35amThe President of the United States has fallen asleep at the control tower of these United States. Citizens have tried to reach him by phone, by email , by gathering (8/28) , by semaphore , by telegram , by mail, by praying, by radio, finally they called his vacation planner and he woke him up. After all, when there is nothing going on in the world, all is quiet, he may fall asleep.
Report Post »thepatriotdave
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 1:09amObamas Travel Agent is the busiest person in D.C. and sleeps in the bedroom right between the Obama’s and Valerie Jarrett.
Who do you want to run for POTUS in 2012?
Report Post »http://tinyurl.com/4rv8xsm
Psychosis
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 1:20amhe is waiting for the stripogram !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 10:40amDave
Re the 2012 race
Long way to go before the choice has to be made. I get upset when conservative bomb throwers, denigrate potential candidates because they deem them, stupid, or don’t follow their pet cause.. I just don’t want another Bob Dole( yet I loved the man) or Bob Jr( John McCain). Our choices seem to be made by the MSM . But I do think D. Trump would be a great VP. .
Report Post »marine249
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 12:33amwere is Reagan
Report Post »Truthisouthere
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 7:48amDead unfortunately…..
Report Post »Salamander
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 12:31amDamn mexican food–the chili peppers, you know!
Report Post »Gold Coin & Economic News
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 12:25amProbably just a union guy taking a little break. I’m sure it was in his contract.
Report Post »walkwithme1966
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 12:28amSomeone needs to be fired for this one – not a good move!! http://wp.me/pYLB7-MH
Report Post »Creestof
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 12:38amWell…now that they’ve named the flight numbers…how much do you want to bet there are a few hundred people right now asking…”Gee, do you think we can sue? How much should we ask for…since we were sort of in danger?”
Report Post »Robert-CA
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 12:38amWhile you‘re in the air don’t worry about your safety someone down there is watching over your safe landing …well @ least after taking a nap .
Report Post »thepatriotdave
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 1:04am“…to decide whether to open a formal investigation,…”
To hell with a stupid formal investigation. If they have proof that the one and only guy in charge of landing planes at such an important airport, was asleep on the job… FIRE HIM!!!!!
Who do you want to run for POTUS in 2012?
Report Post »http://tinyurl.com/4rv8xsm
drbage
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 9:36amWhen you read the article above and others about the incident, all the various spokespeople are very careful to talk about a review of “staffing issues” and the “state of fatigue” for controllers. Sounds like they are setting it up to blame anyone and everyone, but the controller in question. Further, it’s a government agency, so let‘s follow the precedents and hire at least two people to do one person’s job, cut the number of hours that they work, and increase their pay.
Report Post »yougottabekidding
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 9:50amTwo points
Report Post »1: Have you ever worked a grave yard shift by your self? I agree, it was dangerous what happened, Did he go lay down somewhere and leave his post? Or was this person a victim of shear boredom, some depression, whatever.
Here is the BUT : No matter how Conscientious you are it can happen, you can just zonk out.
2: My question is,Who is the idiot that would put one person in a job like that ? What if it was’t sleep but it was a heart attack? Then who is the culprit?
This person was placed in a position to go to a logical end falure!!!!!!
How many others are in that same position and what will happen next time, cause there will be a next time.
mrsmileyface
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 10:30amI made a post yesterday over the frayed wiring in a United Airlines plane that made the cockpit window catch fire. I said I was never again going to fly for any reason whatsoever. Well im doubleing down on that!!!!!!! This is worse than the time when everyone was freaking out over the Air Controllers strike back in the early 80′s when President Reagan replaced the striking controllers with scabs and the general public was nervous over the fact that those controllers were the best and the brightest of the group. Well this TOPS it.
Report Post »mrsmileyface
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 10:44amWere not i mean ^^^^^^^
Report Post »cgrant
Posted on March 24, 2011 at 1:43pm1. Air Traffic Controllers are not required to join the union.
Report Post »2. If this guy were a “supervisor” he would not be allowed to join the union.
3. No one should have been required to stand an 8 hour shift alone.