Asleep at the switch?
It’s not just that the air traffic controller may have been asleep or inattentive. It’s that there was only one on duty in the first place at a busy airport in such a large urban area.
The New Neo
A blog about political change, among other things
I’ve always heard landing was the hard part of flying.
Why would there only be one controller?
Want to bet the politicians and unions will say they need more funding to hire more air traffic controllers.
its a Union job…
I used to think being an American was a pretty good deal because the usual ways to run things went pretty well. Not like in the Third World.
Note a security guard in Detroit put a suspicious package in a closet. Three weeks later, somebody discovered it was a bomb.
Even the union said it was an embarrassment. Wonder how much they’ll spend defending his job.
Damned if the incompetence of Soviet society we all used to snicker at is fast becoming reality in this country. I’ll go ahead and predict empty grocery store shelves and automobiles twenty years behind the Japanese and South Koreans in our future.
There is no reason the FAA exists. Airlines could police themselves far better than with this system. FAA is one of the few federal agencies that can negotiate for its wages as well. Look at what we get for this bargain…
I was an air traffic controller in the Air Force in the 60’s & 70’s, minimum manning for a mid shift in the slowest of towers was three people. One of those could be a trainee, never less that two in the tower cab at any time.
One person on duty is an invitation for incidents like this one.
neo, I had an Emily Latella moment when I read the headline. I thought you were linking to an Obama story.
Never mind.
I loved using this airport when I lived in Arlington, VA, but based on my experience with late-arriving flights into Reagan National, I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone there is often asleep. More than once it took close to an hour after landing for the baggage to appear.
The practice of one person in the tower after curfew has been in effect for some time. I forget when it was first implemented–as a cost-savings measure.
Believe it or not, airlines have approved procedures for landing after airport towers shut down for the night. That does occur at smaller airports. It used to be the case, for instance, at Sarasota, Fl, when our late night flight arrived.
I am not sure that those procedures are applicable when the tower is open, but the controller is asleep; because under the procedure the airline has to have trained people to take certain meteorological readings and relay them to the aircrew. The airline is also responsible for notifying ATC’s flight-following facilities when the airplane is safely on the ground–or not. Could be trouble for the airlines at DCA; but, not likely since in this case the FAA is already terribly embarrassed and just wants the story to go away.
It’s not mentioned in the NY Times article, but due to noise restrictions, there are very few flights in or out of Reagan National Airport (DCA) between 10 PM and 7 AM. DCA is the smallest of the three DC metropolitan airports, but it is very close and convenient to Washington DC/Virginia fliers.
Though it would seem to me that 2 would be a good minimum so potty breaks wouldn’t leave ATC uncovered.
Asleep only 50% of the time is good enough for government work. Stop complaining and step before the scanners. If we tell you to drop trou. drop trou and stop whining. Accept you lot in life and shut up.
Call this the “cheap shot” post.
(Not usually of Neo’s level, must be a “stand-in”)
Art-t-f, Holmes, Roman, et al, you all fell for it. An unattended control tower is planned for in-flight training. The landing pilot announces his procedure, (indicated by numerous electronic aids), then lands. It’s all “by the books”.
And, Libby, ATC (Air Traffic Control) had nothing to do with handling your baggage.
If the controller on duty was MIA, she/he (notice the PC) will be promptly dismissed. The “union” will not be able to save her.
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
I’m with Geran on this one. There’s virtually no traffic into DCA after ten. Regional air traffic control handled the situation, the planes landed, there was no mishap. Pilots know what to do.
Oh sure, the guy who fell asleep should be reprimanded, but there’s really no need to hire another guy to sit there all night and do nothing but keep the first guy awake! Sounds like most gov’t jobs!
Got to save money for somebody’s money laundering union scheme I suppose. All kinds of little deals going on.
All together now, Dems:
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This is all REAGAN’S FAULT!!!
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