Into Dca News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

That's not a place you can miss a beat. the planes carrying a total of 165 passengers and crew landed safely after their pilots took matters into their own hands, broadcasting their progress as they approached the runway. take a listen to this. >> wow. >> washington tower, american 1012. >> washington, this is american 1012. i called on the land line and tried on the commercial line and e aware, we've had one aircraft go into dca. the tower is apparently unmanned. >> after the passenger talked about the experience. >> the pilot said, flight attendants get ready for landing. i felt the plane en...

Notified by the operation center of the tower problem. >> united 628, just so you're aware, we've had one aircraft go into dca. the tower is apparently unmanned. >> reporter: it landed safely too, and the tower controller was back on the radio about five minutes later. but a former airline pilot calls it a serious lapse. >> of all the airports on the planet, this is the worst one for that to happen to. let's face it, that airport sits within a baseball throw of the pentagon, of the white house, of the capitol building. this is not a very good situation. >> reporter: federal officials say they'...

Around that same time, a united airlines plane with 68 people on board heading in from chicago is notified by the operation center of the tower problem. >> united 628, just so you're aware, we've had one aircraft go into dca. the tower is apparently unmanned. >> reporter: it landed safely too and the tower controller was back on the radio about five minutes later. baa former airline pilot calls it a serious lapse. >> of all the airports on the planet, this is the worst one for that to happen to. let's face it, that airport sits within a baseball throw of the pentagon, of the white house, of th...

Line and there's no answer. >> reporter: a man on board the flight says the pilot keeps passengers informed. >> the pilot gets over the loudspeaker and says, sorry, folks, we can't land right now, i can't get in contact with air traffic control tower, we're going to keep circling until i get a response. >> reporter: the plane lands safely a few minutes later, following procedures for unmanned airports, making frequent radio calls to notify planes in the area of its position. around that same time, a united airlines plane with 68 people on board heading in from chicago is notified by the operat...

Listen. >> washington tower. american 1012. washington this is american 1012. i called the land sxlin tried to call on the commercial line and there's no answer. just so you're aware, weaver had one aircraft go into dca. the tower is apparently unmanned. >> afterward one of the passengers talked about the experience. >> the pilot said, you know, flight attendants get ready for landing. i heard the wheel drop down, beginning our descent and then i felt the plane engine start back up and we took back off. pilot says, sorry, folks, we can't land right now. i can't get in contact with air traffic ...