Air Traffic Controller Asleep on Duty at Reagan National, NTSB Says

[DefiantSix]

Air Traffic Controller Asleep on Duty at Reagan National, NTSB Says
FAA Orders Control Tower Staffing Review, Suspends AWOL Controller

By MATT HOSFORD, JIM SCIUTTO and BRADLEY BLACKBURN
March 24, 2011

An air traffic controller at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport fell asleep on duty early Wednesday morning, leaving the control tower silent and forcing pilots of two commercial planes to land on their own, the National Transportation Safety Board said today.

<snip>

The NTSB report, which does not name the controller, said he had been working his fourth consecutive overnight shift, which runs from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., and that "human fatigue issues are one of the areas being investigated."

<snip>

Pilots of an American Airlines and United Airlines plane each said they had been in contact with regional air traffic controllers before being handed off to the Reagan National tower for approach and landing.

But as the planes radioed their requests to land in the nation's capital early Wednesday morning, all they heard was silence.

<snip>

While Reagan National is staffed with multiple air traffic controllers during the day, the overnight shift is managed by just one controller because there are no departures overnight and few arrivals.

<snip>

The FAA administrator quoted in the article says the usual administration doublespeak about how "the system worked"  in spite of the system being asleep at the switch.  

I call it even money whether the air traffic controller is out on his backside for this.  He is most likely a union rat, after all.

[JohnnyReb]

"...working his fourth consecutive overnight shift, which runs from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., and that "human fatigue issues are one of the areas being investigated."

So what? I worked the graveyard shift 6 nights a week for over a year. And then I worked it 7 dayys at a time on a swing-shift for 3 years.

You can't party all day and work all night....I done tried...      
 ...and didn't ever fall asleep. But there were nights when I wished someone would just shoot me so I would have an excuse to lay down though.

[Boudicca]

Hubby and I were discussing this last night.  There was only ONE controller in the tower.  Wtf, what if he had had an attack of gotta get to the toilet ASAP instead of falling asleep?  Bottom line, there should never be less than two air traffic controllers manning a tower.  Too many lives at risk on those planes. 

[NHSparky]

10-6?  Fourth night?  And he can't hang?

Screw that.  I'm getting ready to (again) do 12-hour shifts, 6 days a week, with an hour of commute each way.  I've done both days and nights in the last 4 months.

And I guarantee if I fell asleep on the job I'd be kicking my lunchbox down the road before the shift manager could wake my ass up.

[Chris_]

So the guy has only been suspended because of his union protection and now they want to put another union guy in the tower to poke the 1st one awake?

If it includes a cattle prod, I want the job of keeping the other dude awake.

*zzzzzzzzzzaaapppppppp!* Fun and gettin' paid too? Ain't America grand?

[compaqxp]

I don't think he's the only one to blame for this. For one why wouldn't there not be 2 controllers at the minimum?

[DefiantSix]

I don't think he's the only one to blame for this. For one why wouldn't there not be 2 controllers at the minimum?

Most tower facilities are actually unmanned after a certain time of night.  (Of course, most of those tower facilities are Class "C" or Class "D" airspace, as well.)  There, pilots know that after 22:00 - as an example - they're on their own for takeoff or landing guidance.  The airport lighting can be controlled from the airplane cockpit by clicking the transmit button for the radio a certain number of times.  When we are first being certified for our private pilot's licenses, we spend a considerable amount of time doing "touch and gos" at uncontrolled airports, where we simply announce our position and intended actions to all surrounding traffic, and maintain vigilance for traffic which is either incapable of or distracted/forgetful/neglectful out of the normal unmanned procedure.


So, a solo tower controller in the cab after midnight isn't the detriment you might think it would be on the surface.   As the article indicated, there aren't any takeoffs (by custom, not regulation) in US airspace between midnight and 06:00 local time, and the airspace is relatively empty of incoming flights, so there isn't the workload to justify more than the one controller in the cab at this Airport.  The article also mentions that other airports with more overseas traffic usually have  two or more controllers on the overnight shift, but they also have the workload to justify it.

[Chris_]

I don't think he's the only one to blame for this. For one why wouldn't there not be 2 controllers at the minimum?

So rather than one union goon falling asleep from boredom we should pay two union goons to fall asleep from boredom.

The problem is there isn't enough to do to keep one guy busy.

[Flame]

I heard on a local news thingy, that it wasn't just the overnight shift, but that he had already worked a double shift, and the guy who was to replieve him didn't show up.

[Eupher]

So rather than one union goon falling asleep from boredom we should pay two union goons to fall asleep from boredom.

The problem is there isn't enough to do to keep one guy busy.

Well, if he wasn't a union guy we could have him cleaning shitters and sweeping floors, emptying trash bins and whatnot. When I worked nights, I got up off my ass and found something to do in order to stay awake. But since he's union, he can't do that kind of work.     

The sumbitch is collecting a shift differential to compensate him for working on off-shifts, so my heart doesn't bleed for him.

Regarding Flame's observation above, if that's true, the idiot working the double shift should have called the on-call supervisor when the other asshole failed to show up. That's why the on-call supervisor is collecting the big bucks.

This whole thing reeks of union-itis and the sloth and laziness that comes with it.

[NHSparky]

I heard on a local news thingy, that it wasn't just the overnight shift, but that he had already worked a double shift, and the guy who was to replieve him didn't show up.

Funny, the NRC has fatigue rules that place pretty strict limits on how long we can work, how many days, etc.  Why not the FAA?

[Thor]

Funny, the NRC has fatigue rules that place pretty strict limits on how long we can work, how many days, etc.  Why not the FAA?

The FAA DOES have fatigue rules for pilots, but apparently not for controllers. When I was working at the Lock & Dam in Minneapolis, there were shift swapovers that caused us to get less than 8 hours of sleep (going from mids to days, usually). Everybody that worked there managed to get by and not fall asleep.

[zeitgeist]

So rather than one union goon falling asleep from boredom we should pay two union goons to fall asleep from boredom. The problem is there isn't enough to do to keep one guy busy.

Ding Ding Ding.  We have a winnah!!  Didn't I read about a plane where both pilot and co pilot were asleep not all that long ago?  Adding an extra guy won't solve the problem from the sound of things unless they agree to sleep in shifts. 


(I still remember waking a barracks sentry at the Lakes one time at about two in the morning.  I was standing holding his rifle when he woke up .  He didn't know whether to $hit or go blind, the look on his face? Priceless.  )

And don't get me started on mid-shift abuses.  People have all sorts of inventive ways of abusing mid shift in every place I have ever worked.  I always liked finding the alarm clock set to go off a few hours before shift ending in the little Gerorge Kostanza like hiding holes they create.   

[RealConservativePatriot]

Well, the guy should have been a teacher in the public school system, he would just get a pay increase for sleeping. Let me tell you, I know several private school teachers, and they work harder and are paid less than public education teachers. They don't whine about not having a union and they are good, hard-working, middle-class people who love this country.

[USNFlyer]

Regardless of the reason concerning the controller's issue, the aircraft were never in any danger, or shouldn't have been. There are procedures in place for all types of contingencies and emergencies. Communication failures, although rare do occure. I'm sure that the pilots followed the correct procedures resulting in a safe approach and landing.
I've flown for 40 years, and have had my share of "Oh, S**T !!" moments................ but, I'm still here and have never dinged a plane. I doubt the pilots considered this an emergency, but, I'd bet they were thinking WTF ??

[Thor]

Regardless of the reason concerning the controller's issue, the aircraft were never in any danger, or shouldn't have been. There are procedures in place for all types of contingencies and emergencies. Communication failures, although rare do occure. I'm sure that the pilots followed the correct procedures resulting in a safe approach and landing.
I've flown for 40 years, and have had my share of "Oh, S**T !!" moments................ but, I'm still here and have never dinged a plane. I doubt the pilots considered this an emergency, but, I'd bet they were thinking WTF ??

Welcome USNFlyer. We have a board for introductions. I'm sure that folks would appreciate it if you would stop by there and post a little about yourself.

Thanks !! 

[An Ordinary American]

Regardless of the reason concerning the controller's issue, the aircraft were never in any danger, or shouldn't have been. There are procedures in place for all types of contingencies and emergencies. Communication failures, although rare do occure. I'm sure that the pilots followed the correct procedures resulting in a safe approach and landing.
I've flown for 40 years, and have had my share of "Oh, S**T !!" moments................ but, I'm still here and have never dinged a plane. I doubt the pilots considered this an emergency, but, I'd bet they were thinking WTF ??

True. The bigger issue wasn't getting the plane on the ground--that's easy enough as all instrument approaches were active as I understand.

But the ground operations is where I'd definitely have my head on a swivel. That can be hairy enough when you have Ground directing you, but without them and at night with the maintenance guys running around, towing airplanes, etc.

Of course, the media made it sound like an airplane is incapable of landing unless there is a controller there to "guide him in."

--AOA

[Thor]

True. The bigger issue wasn't getting the plane on the ground--that's easy enough as all instrument approaches were active as I understand.

But the ground operations is where I'd definitely have my head on a swivel. That can be hairy enough when you have Ground directing you, but without them and at night with the maintenance guys running around, towing airplanes, etc.

Of course, the media made it sound like an airplane is incapable of landing unless there is a controller there to "guide him in."

--AOA

And us maintenance folks on the ground always have our head in a swivel because the last thing anybody wants is a crash between any aircraft, ESPECIALLY ones with passengers on board.

[An Ordinary American]

And us maintenance folks on the ground always have our head in a swivel because the last thing anybody wants is a crash between any aircraft, ESPECIALLY ones with passengers on board.

I'm white-kneed at night on the ramp because I have nightmares of some maintenance guy not seeing me, even all lit up, and walking into my spinning prop. I already have the ground freq dialed in before I'm told to contact Tower on night flights, although at smaller airports, Tower often keeps you on their frequency.

Lot of my Angel Flights arrive at night--for the comfort/convenience of the passenger. Pilots and maintenance have to look out for each other.

And quite frankly, I'd just as soon have two controllers (minimum) in the towers at the bravo and charlie airspace airports. I don't really want one controller trying to handle my ground operations, takeoff/tower, and approach/departure and then hoping he/she handed me off to the right Center while I'm climbing out. . .

There are a lot of desk-jockeys and bureaucraps at the FAA who are 100% worthless and nothing more than payroll fodder that can be eliminated in order to pay for more help in the towers.

--AOA

[Thor]

There are a lot of desk-jockeys and bureaucraps at the FAA who are 100% worthless and nothing more than payroll fodder that can be eliminated in order to pay for more help in the towers.

--AOA

Amen to that!!!

[DefiantSix]

There are a lot of desk-jockeys and bureaucraps at the FAA who are 100% worthless and nothing more than payroll fodder that can be eliminated in order to pay for more help in the towers.

--AOA

+1.

The problem though, is that all those useless paper shufflers have all the time in the world to write up justification for their positions, while at the same time coming up with whatever asinine reasoning is necessary to make the cuts on the pointy end of the operations spectrum.

[DefiantSix]

The scape goat has officially been sacrificed:

Air Traffic Chief Resigns Amid Rash of Sleeping Controllers
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 11:36am by Jonathon M. Seidl

WASHINGTON (The Blaze/AP) — The head of the Federal Aviation Administration says the agency‘s top official overseeing the nation’s air traffic system has resigned following disclosures of controllers falling asleep on the job.

FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said in a statement Thursday that Hank Krakowski, the head of the agency’s Air Traffic Organization, has submitted his resignation. FAA’s chief counsel, David Grizzle, will temporarily take over Krakowski’s duties while the agency searches for a replacement.

Babbitt said he is conducting a “top to bottom” review of the FAA’s entire air traffic system. He said recent disclosures of “unprofessional conduct on the part of a few individuals” have rightly caused the traveling public to question the system.

<snip>

It wasn't Mr. Krakowski who set the staffing tables for ATC towers, and he wasn't the one who was found snoring in a puddle of his own drool when he should have been landing airplanes.  This lack of accountability on the part of the air traffic controllers who actually screwed the pooch is disgusting to me.

[Eupher]

The scape goat has officially been sacrificed:

It wasn't Mr. Krakowski who set the staffing tables for ATC towers, and he wasn't the one who was found snoring in a puddle of his own drool when he should have been landing airplanes.  This lack of accountability on the part of the air traffic controllers who actually screwed the pooch is disgusting to me.

Well, as I understand the story, the perp who was asleep acted as though there wasn't a procedural problem at all with his being asleep and that that kind of behavior was perfectly acceptable.

If that's the case, and if the perp wasn't wrong in being asleep due to a policy that permitted him to sleep, then I can see this bureaucrat getting the heave-ho.

But hell, don't stop with him. Throw out the top dog too.

[namvet]

another one doze's off

FAA Issues New Work Schedules After Another Air Controller Falls Asleep

The Federal Aviation Administration is changing air traffic controllers' work schedules most likely to cause fatigue following another incident in which a controller fell asleep while on duty. this time at a radar center in Miami

story

happy landings ???

[DumbAss Tanker]

All it takes is once for a the random "So what" to become an indefensible billion-dollar lawsuit based on "My God, WTF is wrong with you that you knew about this for years and didn't do anything???"

Even frickin' locomotive engineers have deadman switches they have to keep down that raise hell if they're let alone for a given interval, three minutes in some cases.  This shit's getting out of hand, and there are several technical ways to deal with it that don't involve doubling the staff like the union wants.