ATC at Reagan National DCA asleep at the wheel?

[visibility3miles]

Air traffic controller asleep? Reagan Airport adds staffing - latimes.com (http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-naw-ronald-reagan-airport-20110324,0,2903141.story)

Ronald Reagan National Airport will increase staffing after the lone air traffic controller on duty apparently fell asleep, officials said.

Two passenger planes -- an American Airlines flight and a United Airlines flight -- approaching the Washington D.C.-area airport were unable to raise the airport tower by radio Tuesday night. Both flights landed without incident...

Ooh... It's an uncontrolled airport!

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

I think this is the third thread on PPruNe dealing with this...

[Danscowpie]

As with most things FAA, there's a lot of very public finger pointing towards individuals in such circumstances, followed by rapid backtracking and arse covering when the facts are established.

We await the outcome of an independant enquiry.

[visibility3miles]

I think this is the third thread on PPRuNe dealing with this...
Apologies, tried search before post but missed it.

[aldegar]

No apologies, you are the only one posting it in the right place! This is an "ATC issue" after all... ;)

[oldnavy]

Two people on a night shift!!! think of the cost---safety?

[ATC Watcher]

To make things worse for the FAA the (only) guy on duty was not a normal Controller but a management Supervisor :rolleyes: . Apparently Babbit and LaHood are going wild about this and long promised changes to single man operations might be coming...

[akaSylvia]

The FAA is thoroughly investigating Wednesday’s early morning incidents at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport’s control tower. While that is taking place, we have suspended the air traffic controller from all operational duties. I am determined to get to the bottom of this situation for the safety of the traveling public.”
As a former airline pilot, I am personally outraged that this controller did not meet his responsibility to help land these two airplanes. Fortunately, at no point was either plane out of radar contact and our back-up system kicked in to ensure the safe landing of both airplanes.


Press Release – Statement by FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt (http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=12577)

[ATCNetwork]

Statement of FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt (http://www.atc-network.com/News/37673/Statement-of-FAA-Administrator-Randy-Babbitt-)

[Mike_Retired_ATC]

At locations like DCA where the radar approach functions are handled from a combined radar facility or turned over to an enroute facility during the midnight shifts it is a common practice that the facilities are only staffed by one individual.

At the last two facilities that I worked at before I retired (2009) all the midnight shifts were worked by one controller, HSV gave up the approach control and became a VFR tower during the midnight shifts, and FWA the individual controller worked tower and radar approach (using the BRITE Scope) combined up in the tower.

[Vercingetorix]

On the button Shell and they, the US government, accuse BP of a lack of safety management! Pot and kettle comes to mind!:suspect:

[Ditchdigger]

and the FAA have a duty to promote aviation, regulate it and provide critical infrastructure services.



Not anymore they don't. From the agency's own history of itself ( http://www.faa.gov/about/media/b-chron.pdf (http://www.faa.gov/about/media/b-chron.pdf) ):



On Oct 9, the President signed the Federal Aviation Reauthorization Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-264) , ...

.... To address public perceptions about FAA’s "dual mission," the law specified safety as the agency’s highest priority. FAA remained responsible for encouraging and developing civil aeronautics, but references to a promotional role were eliminated from its mandate.



It's understandable that you are misinformed. It remains a common misconception. The FAA hasn't quite gotten the message themselves...

(The above is a cut and paste from a post I made in March of 09. Interesting that I have but 47 posts nearly 3 years, and two of them contain the exact same information, correcting something that's been a misconception since 1996...)