In the wake of a wave of unanswered nighttime calls by concerned pilots to control towers, the Federal Aviation Administration is increasing midnight shift staffing at 27 facilities.
The latest late-night lapse, which was preceded by at least three previous incidents, triggered the response. The Reno-Gazette Journal reports that a medical flight with an ill patient on board was forced to land in the wee hours of Wednesday morning April 13 with no help from the tower. The sole controller on duty appears to have been sleeping.
In March a similar incident occurred at Reagan Washington National. Later in the month, again on the midnight shift, controllers failed to “hand off” control of a departing aircraft to the Fort Worth Air Route Traffic Control Center. April 11 a controller fell asleep in the tower at Boeing Field/King County Airport in Seattle.
Controller suspensions followed the incidents, as did outrage on the part of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. In a prepared release LaHood said, “This is absolutely unacceptable. The American public trusts us to run a safe system. Safety is our number one priority and I am committed to working 24/7 until these problems are corrected.”
Now, FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt and National Air Traffic Controllers Association President Paul Rinaldi have jointly issued a nationwide “call to action.” DOT says they will be visiting air traffic facilities across the country to reinforce professionalism.
The FAA is also reviewing the air traffic control system, looking at staffing and scheduling. For years there’s been criticism of the way in which the Federal Aviation Administration schedules controllers on overnight shifts.
Now, the issue has reached a head.
Story by Jerry Chandler
(Image: pdstahl)
