Snoozing Controller's Excuse: 'Stuck Mike'

Knoxville air traffic controller intentionally slept, FAA says

(NEWSER) - After a DC air traffic controller fell asleep on the job , the FAA learned of a second one who did the same thing—but this one did it intentionally. The Knoxville air traffic controller went so far as to find cushions and a blanket to use for his nap, Reuters reports. While he slept, during a midnight shift on Feb. 19, the airport tower controller was forced to cover the other man's duties. More»

FAA probing incident at Reagan National Airport

(NEWSER) - Two planes were forced to land without guidance or clearance from the control tower at Reagan National Airport outside Washington, DC, because the air traffic supervisor was asleep, federal officials say. Efforts to reach the supervisor—the only controller on duty at the time—failed, and the late-night flights early yesterday had to rely on guidance from a regional air traffic control center 40 miles away, officials tell AP . The two planes—carrying a total of 165 passengers and crew—landed safely, broadcasting their progress as they approached. More»

(NEWSER) - The National Transportation Board's view of the events that caused last weekend's crash over the Hudson River doesn't jibe with the FAA's, the Wall Street Journal reports. The NTSB chronology released yesterday suggests that errors from air traffic controllers—one of whom was one the phone to his girlfriend at the time of the crash—are partly to blame, while the FAA insists it has no reason to believe controller missteps played a role. More»

For three minutes, planes heard Samuel L. Jackson instead of instructions

(NEWSER) - Note to air traffic controllers: Watching a DVD at work may help to keep you awake, but ultimately it's not much better than napping. A controller in Oberlin, Ohio, learned that lesson the hard way early Sunday, when his microphone was accidentally activated and began transmitting the audio from the Samuel L. Jackson thriller Cleaner to all the planes in his airspace for more than three minutes. The controller and a manager have been suspended, the AP reports. More»

Another controller nodded off in Nevada yesterday

(NEWSER) - The head of the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization resigned today, amid a wave of reports of air traffic controllers sleeping on the job . Hank Krakowski submitted his resignation this morning to FAA chief Randy Babbitt, the Washington Post reports, who promised a “top to bottom” review of the air traffic control system he leaves behind. More»