Two passenger flights forced to land independently thanks to sleeping air controller
Posted March 24, 2011 1:09 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – It’s highly stressful, requires precision and is certainly not the type of job you want to fall asleep while doing.
But when two passenger flights were forced to land at Ronald Reagon National Airport without the help of an air traffic controller, that’s exactly what happened.
Officials at the airport admitted the lone air traffic controller fell asleep Tuesday night, explaining why the United Airlines and American Airlines flights were unable to make contact with the air-tower as they approached the airport in Washington, D.C.
Both flights were able to land without incident, and officials claim pilots are trained to do exactly this in a situation when they can’t make contact with controllers. Air traffic at the Ronald Reagan airport is generally minimal late at night, and the fact that pilots are able to independently communicate with nearby planes may have contributed to the safe landings.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the issue and has ordered the airport to add another controller to their night shift.
