The air traffic controller involved in the radio silence incident at Reagan National Airport fell asleep as planes approached the airport for landing, the National Transportation Safety Board says.
The controller, who had 20 years experience, 17 of those at Reagan, told officials he had fallen asleep for a period of time while on duty, according to an NTSB statement. The controller was working his fourth consecutive overnight shift (10p-6a.) The NTSB says it has opened an investigation.
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Smoke Another One What does that mean??
All aircraft, as do all air traffic control electronics, have redundant systems in case they fail. Where is the redundancy in having only one person in the tower? A human can fail to respond for a variety of reasons...sleep just being one of them. That said, it makes no sense for such a critical system so heavily reliant on human input to have one person performing that function at one time. Things fail, humans fail. Having backup for one and not the other is the same as no backup at all.l
There's no need for a backup, because the controller wasn't really required at all for the amount of traffic at the time (2 planes in 15 minutes). Nevertheless, there were multiple layers of backups, including the approach controller and the pilots themselves, who simply communicate with each other without the middleman. It's far simpler and safer than this article, and these posts, would lead you to believe.
Correct, and there are about 8 layers of redundancy here. If the tower can't be reached (controller asleep, radio failure, power failure, you name it) the pilot goes to the previous controller, who treats it like an uncontrolled airport. In that case only one aircraft is allowed to land or takeoff until they are verified off the runway. Plus the pilot is switched to a common advisory frequency as they near the airport, that all aircraft and airport vehicles monitor, and they announce their positions to each other. Then there's "positive control" which is a concept that means aircraft (or ground vehicles) can only move when cleared so by a controller. If there's no controller (because he's asleep), they don't move. Then there's a bunch of other safety layers but I'm not going to write a book here - they're there though, ask any pilot and they'll agree this wasn't a safety issue.
this guy was not a controller he was a supervisor.
I work four night shifts as part if a rotating schedule, and I'm talking 7-7 ( 12 hr shifts) and I don't fall asleep but I do have a job that keeps me moving about so I can see how sitting in one place might be another situation.
I work in an emergency room and i woeked nights for a year. There were 2 occasions i worked 14 nights straight because i volunteered.6:30 pm to 7 am. 12 hour shifts. I survived without falling asleep and got everything else done after work or before. I do agree its tougher on the body though but dont tell me a guy cant work 4 8 hour shifts at night. Some times i still do 7 days straight with half night shifts and the rest day shifts at 12 hours each.
There is no comparing work in an emergency room with a graveyard shift as an air traffic controller. Your work demanded *more* attention, making it easier to stay awake. In your ER work you had other people to interact with and periodic jolts of action and adrenaline.
This guy was looking at an empty radar screen and was probably bored stiff.
Four eight hour shifts in a row? Don't most people do 5 eight hour shifts in a row? Surgeons routinely work 30 hours straight saving lives with no xcuses and we don't fall asleep operating. Sounds like both a system and the employees fault. Either way, that is grounds for firing.
seth, you don't fall asleep operating because you are *doing* something. Anybody can stay awake when they are doing physical work. These guys are looking at a blank screen in a dead-quiet room in the middle of the night.
I bet (no, I know) that you couldn't do *nothing* for your bragged-about 40 hours and not fall asleep.
keep in mind they were an air traffic controller working the 3rd shift, not a janitor or a mcdonalds drive thru worker pulling the late shift, while all are respectable jobs, no body just fell into them. They worked numerous years to get to where they were. Everyone can second guess the outcome after the fact but, feel free to step up try it yourself.
Thanks, I did, I was a controller for 10 years and the shift work killed me - it's rotating shifts, not straight days or nights - and I missed seeing my own kids. I quit and took a pay cut into the 9-5 world and it was the best decision I ever made!
Appropiate airport...thanks Ronnie for attacking the traffic controllers...this worker was working his fourth consecutive, all night shift at one of the most stressful jobs on the market. I drive for a living and see many RV's, with their Beemers in tow, every day on the highways. No recession for the wealthy. Now if we can force the workers to work for less...they can buy another yacht.
Well....I think everyone should take it easy on this guy. I've fallen asleep on the job plenty of times. Once while I was talking to the Pope with dozens of news cameras around. God, that was one boring Polack. Anyway, this guy sounds like one of the scabs we hired when we broke the old union, so he's OK in my books.
PS to Pres O'bama, keep bombing them Libyans, it makes you feel good, you crazy dark Irishman.
I find it hard to believe that after three days of night shift a person wouldn't have adapted he has 16 hours off. A person can function on around 6 hours sleep. I was a Soldier in Iraq and worked nights and stayed awake. There is no excuse for this action which could have cost lives
Agreed, but in ATC your mid shift is usually after working 8, then 8 off, then your 8 hour midnight shift. That's probably what happened here (easy to get little details like that wrong in stories like this)... so ATC have to sleep-deprive themselves for the morning shift, so they'll be tired enough to hopefully get a couple hours sleep in their 8 off, so they can make it through the overnight shift. Not easy when you get middle aged.
It's interesting that we found out by accident that the tower has been unmanned before, about a year ago, this was mentioned in the pilot's transmissions. Make syou wonder if the "TRAVELING PUBLIC" is getting the TEPCO treatment from the FAA.
I was in ATC and I'd say only about 1% of "incidents" like this ever make the news. (Not that it's dangerous stuff going on, not at all - the system is designed for multiple failures and still be safe. I much prefer to fly than to be on the road with all the crazies).
To me, it sounded like he was just saying... 'yeah this has happened before', in general. You know pilots land at dozens of airports, right?
I agree, but I know to much about aircraft safety too feel great about either one.
Please keep that to yourself, Dreamer, and I'll keep what I've seen to myself, and I think we'll all be happier!
BOB, I AM TELLING YOUR SECRETS! YOU GUYS ARE FOUND OUT!
Some kind of reprimand is necessary here but I sincerely hope this controller does not lose his job. He's given 20 years of faithful service. Mistakes do happen. The easy out would be to fire this controller and not make any changes to the work environment which allowed this to happen.
Yeah he should be forgiven, it's not like 500 people could have died or anything.......moron
I know that due to the down turn in the economy there have been cut backs here and there and trying to save money wherever it can be saved but I think that management should also be blamed because they are responsible for staffing.
FIRED FIRED FIRED!!! You'd be singing a different tune if people had died you dunce.
You probably don't fly.
In response to the moroinc types who think people could have died because this guy fell asleep, I recommend you educate yourselves before posting comments that reveal your ignorance. The air traffic is very light at that time of evening at DCA and when communications fail (or there is no tower in some cases), the pilots simply braodcast their position and intentions to other aircraft in the area. This was far from a life threating situation. Media hype is good food for a weak mind.
I agree with Nate. BTW I'm an airline pilot.
I would sue the crap out of the airport if after 20years of my life dedicated to my work I screw up once and now the whole world wants my head on a platter. I would think 20years would mean something.
It is not just his mistake. The system in place is faulty. There should have been a backup. Not sure how much of it is automated ? Why cant they have an emergency-landing runway , which could be used if no airtraffic controller responds and the plane has to land immediately ?
Sure, let's spend millions of dollars building extra runways at all airports that sit idle just in case an ATC falls asleep. Here's your sign.
The issue isn't an extra runway – there ARE procedures in pace and the aircraft followed them. The purpose of the controller is so two planes do not land at the same time AND to ensure the runway is clear...
Adding a runway would not prevent a conflict between two inbound planes...
There should be two people on duty... What if he had a major medical problem instead of just falling asleep??
The solution is to hire someone...
Another note – Runways cost millions – lighting – guidance gear – etc – and need to be cleared of snow in winter – much cheaper to pay an extra controller or two
Truth, go back to spewing your catholic garbage on the belief blog. You have NO idea what you're talking about. As usual.
Oh noes! What if I go to McDonalds and there's no one to take my order at the drive-thru window?
its not that easy. the pilots did the right thing by blasting out to everyone that they were landing. an ATC operator shouldnt have fallen asleep. but their should always be at least two ATC in there at a minimun. i have worked ATC for the U.S. Army for 2 1/2 years now and i have never been by myself while working
The union won't let this puke get fired.
Hey lobo – that puke was a non-union member of management. The union has been pushing for a minimum of 2 controllers on the mid shift for years, but the FAA won't hire enough controllers to staff appropriately.
He must have been a republican.
Why? Because he had a job & wasn't on welfare?
Nope, it was a direct result of reading Sarah Palin's website.
@Lecter – oh so you mean he also works at MSNBC, "All Palin All the Time." no wonder he needed a second job.
If I fell asleep at my job, I would be fired. It's not like people could have died or anything. Retard.
Sarah would keep him up all nite. She's smokin hot unlike that witch pelosi.
there are always at least two people on duty at mcdonalds during night shift to make sure that this never happens. duh. it's not like you pay and get your food at the same window.
You wouldn't be asking for him to get a second chance if two planes collided and killed 200 people.
That wasn't remotely a possibility here... and airliners don't need controllers to avoid collisions.
Matt, it COULD have been fatal. There are many mistakes you can make when you're tired. Luckily, this man only fell asleep.
Yes she would. Liberals can't take responsibility for nothing.
this isn't air florida ok
While no lives were in danger, the fact remains that a tired sleepy person is NOT who you want landing airplanes. Someone shared on here earlier a story, about her friend who died in a plane crash - because the controller was so tired he accidentally directed the plane to land on the wrong runway. Because he was tired! So who's to say that this individual isn't capable of making a fatal error in the future. That my friends is why you suspend or fire people like that.
Maybe he's just old and needs to retire
Or don't let them work overnight shifts so many days in a row. I've done work like that before. No matter how well rested you feel when you start your shift, by the time 3 am rolls around you can barely keep your eyes open.
I world in a parking garage on graveyard shift by 3am I'm sawing logs and horns get blown to wake me up.