ATC Nods Off: 2 Planes Land Without Clearance

[MJS]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42237593/ns/travel-news/

WASHINGTON — Aviation and safety experts are on alert after an air traffic control tower supervisor reportedly fell asleep at the switch early Wednesday at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., leaving two commercial jets to land without gaining clearance.
The controller, along with other Federal Aviation Administration officials at Reagan National, was interviewed by the National Transportation Safety Board, NBC News has learned. The controller — a 20-year-veteran, 17 of those years at Reagan — had been working his fourth consecutive overnight shift (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.)

As if it isn't bad enough that we have to worry about people or things getting on a plane that should be getting caught by TSA, now we have to worry about planes landing without anyone paying attention.

Of course, I dont fault the guy 100%, as I put half the blame on the person(s) who made this guy work alone. I have to wonder...are these hours his normal working shift, or was he on 4 double shifts? If they were doubles, yeah, thats crazy. If its his regular shift, then one has to wonder why he isn't getting enough rest.

 

[granfire]

eh, that's the tip of the iceberg. If we really knew how close we are to air disaster every day, we'd beg to put in high speed trains everywhere.

 

[MJS]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42330499/ns/travel-news/

WOW! Sadly, a tragedy is probably going to have to happen, before some serious changes are made.

 

[crushing]

had been working his fourth consecutive overnight shift (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.)

Really? Four consecutive days with an 8-hour shift? What slave drivers!!!!!

The assumption was that he "nodded off." Maybe he was on the toilet? I've heard a (non-commercial) pilot comment on this so-called incident, and he says it really isn't a big deal, especially in the middle of the night with very light traffic. There is even a term for when the tower isn't available, but I forgot what he said it was.

If we really knew how close we are to air disaster every day, we'd beg to put in high speed trains everywhere.

Rail can be mismanaged and trains crash too, to devastating effect that would have people begging for a much quicker trip in the air.