FAA Orders Nationwide Review of Air Traffic Control System
Air Traffic Rules to be Reviewed
Chris Rank/Bloomberg
“I am determined to make sure we do not repeat Wednesday’s unacceptable event,” FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said, following a incident in Washington, D.C., where a controller slept while planes landed.
“I am determined to make sure we do not repeat Wednesday’s unacceptable event,” FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said, following a incident in Washington, D.C., where a controller slept while planes landed. Photographer: Chris Rank/Bloomberg
U.S. aviation regulators are reviewing procedures and equipment to prevent a repeat of an incident in which planes landed while a controller slept.
Pilots will be reminded they can divert elsewhere when they get no response at an airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Controllers at radar facilities will contact 30 towers staffed with a single worker after midnight to ensure they are prepared to handle a flight, the agency said.
“I am determined to make sure we do not repeat Wednesday’s unacceptable event,” FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said in a statement today.
AMR Corp. (AMR)’s American Airlines and United Continental Holdings Inc. (UAL)’s United Airlines planes carrying a combined 154 passengers landed without tower assistance after midnight on March 23 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after failing to make contact with a controller, who later told investigators he had fallen asleep.
To contact the reporter for this story: John Hughes in Washington jhughes5@bloomberg.net Heather Burke at hburke2@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Bernard Kohn at bkohn2@bloomberg.net
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