Page 228 - Controller News Today

Then all of the sudden the pilot gets over the loud speaker and says, sorry, folks, we cant land right now. kant get in contact with the air traffic control tower and well keep circling when i get a response. >> thats not what you want to hear as an airline passenger. >> the air traffic controller at d.c.s international admits he was sleeping when the pilots tried to contact the tower to land early wednesday. nbcs tom costello is live in washington, d.c. at least he fessed up. what do we know ab...

Job of getting this em in. of course, id go to the tracon and say is this really the best policy. maybe they should have been diverted to dulles or to bwi. that would have been some inconvenience but not a significant amount. >> yeah, and ray lahood is ordering this second air traffic controller on duty. the air traffic controller involved has been suspended. is this enough for you? >> well, i think lets see what the investigation turns up. i dont think theres any way that were not going to have...

Accidents unit. this is not the first time air traffic control has been called into question. >> reporter: in air transportation, there are no second chances. but there have been a number of close calls and even tragedies that have been cause for alarm. >> jeff blue 171, cleared for takeoff. >> like the case of the controllers kids landing planes at new yorks jfk last year. >> adios amigos. >> the controller was put on leave. and an even more disturbing case, the air traffic controller on a pers...

The flames were brought under control a few hours ago. no one was hurt. airport officials say the flames were away from the runways and terminals but it could lead to delays and in cancellations since tanker trucks are being brought in to refuel the planes. also, coming into landing and silence from the control tower. at reagan international airport yesterday without help because the only one on duty didnt answer. the pilot of the first plane was in contact with regional air traffic control an...

Enthusiastic about flying? mary skiavo is a former inspector general with the department of transportation. thank you for joining us. >> thank you. >> what do you suppose happened here? >> well, i think probably what happened is there was lone air traffic controller on duty and he fell asleep. when i was inspector general i had investigated several incidents like this where the traffic controller had fallen asleep but not in washington, d.c. i remember i had one in the midwest where the controll...

At the regional center and say whats the procedure that we should follow when a tower like at reagan national is nonresponsive? should they have diverted to dulles or bwi thurgood marshall? i think theres going to be some fallout from this event. >> and secretary ray la hood ordering a second controller at this tower, is that good news? >> theres been concern about fatigue in all aspects of transportation and the controllers need to have backup. particularly on these graveyard shifts where fatig...

Traffic control facility. take a listen. >> american 190 so youre aware, the tower is apparently not manned. we have made a few phone calls, no even answering. so two airplanes when in the past 10 to 15 minutes so you can expect to go in as an uncontrolled airport. >> is there a reason its not manned? >> well, im going to take a guess and say that the controller got locked out. ive heard of this happening before. >> thats the first time ive heard of it. >> fortunately, its not very often. it hap...

Ive heard of this happening before. >> thats the first time ive heard of it. >> yeah. fortunately, its not very often, but, yeah, it happened about a year ago. but im not sure that is what happened now, but, anyway, nobody is in the tower. >> interesting. >> it is. >> all of what they said is true. the transportation secretary ray lahood issued this statement saying today i directed the faa to place two air traffic controllers at ronald reagan washington national airports control tower on the mi...

Amazingly that they seemed kind of used to this. take a listen. >> american 1900. so youre away, the tower is apparently not manned. weve made a few phone calls. nobody is answering. two airplanes went in the past 10 to 15 minutes and so you can expect to go in as an uncontrolled airport. >> is there a reason its not manned? >> well, im going to take a guess and say that the controller got locked out. ive heard of this happening before. >> thats the first time ive heard of it. >> yeah. . fortuna...

Says uncontrolled airport. >> thats interesting. >> reports say the lone controller fell asleep. the pilots were forced to land on their own. keep in mind the planes had passengers aboard. and reagan national is just two miles from the white house. as you might imagine, that makes air travelers quite nervous. >> it scares me a little. id like to think that i wouldnt be asleep at the wheel if i was driving. wow. >> lets face it, theres too many planes stacked up there to not be paying attention. ...