SSR
Down, good man, this isn't national survival here, just a civil discussion. LSM is invited here anytime, I'll buy him a beer even. Please don't your ego stand on the way of reasoning.
LSM
FAR 91.129 covers operations in Class D (airport traffic area) and it clearly authorizes ATC to approve deviations from the requirement to have a landing clearance. The published transcripts seem to indicate that Potomac TRACON authorized landings as at an uncontrolled airport. The controller even referenced an earlier event where a controller had been locked out of the facility, so I'm guessing this has happened before and some controllers are not operating "in the dark" when they can't get a facility on the the inter phone.
How long did it take for the first inbound flight to miss, get vectored around and another approach while the TRACON tried to call--easily 12 minutes. Then, we have a second flight, the how process takes about 20-30 minutes.
Everyone banging on how the flights should have diverted have point, but it is, like landing at KDCA, just an opinion, not based on relevant regulations. Past practices within the FAA indicates it was the expected.
Aterpster
I think the NTSB will investigate, will rip the FAA a new one and will get their way. After the KLEX crash, it was expected that there would always be, at least, two controllers on duty. The FAA needs to stand up to the fatigue issues here, not sure how better to do rotating shifts, but this guy was not new at it, knew his responsibilities and failed. I've investigated enough fatigue-related "safety of flight" calls in the USAF to know this controller's story will reveal the truth, even if the FAA keeps it quiet. He may have simply fallen asleep, but I'm betting on either a physical ailment or a previous 72 hour history that doesn't have a lot of sleep for reasons that are not something to brag about. It wasn't even that late.
GF
Last edited by galaxy flyer; 29th Mar 2011 at 20:26.