Air Traffic Controller asleep....

[FlightPathOBN]

Air controller asleep as plane landed (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110413/ap_on_re_us/us_air_controller_lapse)

Now that the FAA is actually looking...
There are rumble sticks for aircraft...looks like we need rumble seats for ATC.

Would be interesting to hear some PPRN stories from around the world...

[sitigeltfel]

At most airport towers, there's no bathroom in the cab — the room on the top of the tower. With only one controller on duty, the position has to go unattended at times if the controller needs to use a bathroom. At Manston, during the long boring night shifts, we had a solution to that. The only problem was if the duty Met guy on the ground floor stepped outside for a smoke! :E

[Ditchdigger]

"I am totally outraged by these incidents. This is absolutely unacceptable," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement. "The American public trusts us to run a safe system. Safety is our number one priority and I am committed to working 24/7 until these problems are corrected."


I'll bet he falls asleep within the first 48 hours...

[FlightPathOBN]

4 more today....

they need to fix the conditions, not start with the people.

[PAXboy]

Ah, the unintended consequences of actions. Someone could remind us when Reagan contrived to sack the staff and remove all that nasty red tape ...? :rolleyes:

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Do I understand that the US controllers who "fell asleep" were totally alone?

I've slept whilst on watch thousands of times, but never whilst alone and always wearing a headset. I don't know the current rules but whilst the tower controller was expected to use radar and flight progress strips to be aware of inbound traffic during the day, I always used to telephone the tower well in advance for any arrivals during the night. Seems commonsense to me...

[Quintilian]

Sleeping during night shifts are quite normal I'd say, at least in the towers manned by a single officer on duty, and with no scheduled traffic during the night. Set the mobile-alarm to ring with intervals of 1h (METAR-time!), and put the radios and telephones to maximum ring volume (100 dB!) ... Zzzzzz

[Cuddles]

16 minutes? He should have had about 25 minutes. If you're going to make the papers, you might as well have a lie in.:zzz:

[anotherthing]

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood stated 'I will not take this sleepng malarky lying down'

[pattern_is_full]

FAA's air traffic control chief resigns, administrator says – This Just In - CNN.com Blogs (http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/14/faas-air-traffic-control-chief-resigns-administrator-says/)

[aluminium persuader]

Keep the noise down guys... some of us are trying to grab a few ZZzzzzs!

:E:E:E

[FlightPathOBN]

after a few beers....:zzz:

it would be this guy in case you are wondering...

Henry P. "Hank" Krakowski - Chief Operating Officer, Air Traffic Organization (http://www.faa.gov/about/key_officials/krakowski/)

[ex-EGLL]

Do I understand that the US controllers who "fell asleep" were totally alone?

I've slept whilst on watch thousands of times, but never whilst alone and always wearing a headset. I don't know the current rules but whilst the tower controller was expected to use radar and flight progress strips to be aware of inbound traffic during the day, I always used to telephone the tower well in advance for any arrivals during the night. Seems commonsense to me...

When did you ever work nights?;)

[max1]

FPO,
They're quick at one thing in the FAA, Krakowskis bio has been pulled or your link is wrong.

[ATCFloripa]

If the ATCo needs to use the restroom, it would be advisable to carry on a portable VHF transceiver and also inform the APP operator... in airports where the approach operator can see the runway, it would be simpler to deal with an "organic emergency". When you have to go you have to go!

The chance that anyone would enter an active runway without radio contact is in my opinion almost zero, (in a controlled airport) so I think misunderstandings are far more dangerous.

At least two operators should be available for the night shift, too.

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

One of the greatest lessons the NATS gave me was how to sleep in a swivel chair, wearing my electric hat as a scarf.

Correct me if I'm wrong, though, wasn't the problem here sleepy bye time occurring between initial contact and clear, complete on the stand?

[skyman01]

Can someone explain the situation in the US - are the FAA both contractors AND regulators, and if so, does that not create a conflict of interest in situations like this?

[Mike_Retired_ATC]

The FAA is the Federal Aviation Administration which is part of the Federal Government which makes FAA controllers government employees. There are contractors (Midwest ATC, RVA, Serco) which provide ATC services at some of our smaller VFR airports.

The sleeping problem arises from the schedule that controllers work, which is often consist of rotating shifts nights, days, and mids. Often you only have 8 hours off between shifts, so when you figure in commuting to/from home and work, spending time with your family, you may be only getting 3 to 6 hours sleep between shifts. I've had schedules where I worked a 3 night shifts, a day shift (quick turn) then back that night for a midnight shift (another quick turn), so you can imagine how tired I would be.

With this latest incident in Miami, I wonder why the other controller didn't wake his co-worker up so he could had requested a break instead of calling a supervisor or manager to come and catch his co-worker sleeping. This stabbing your fellow controller in the back just leads to more problems.

[flydive1]

Changes to controllers scheduling

Press Release – FAA Announces Changes to Controller Scheduling (http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=12668)

[alph2z]

A solution to some of these problems would be a loud horn that turns on after 5 secs after ATC receives a radio call.

The horn is prevented from turning on by pressing a button or ATC transmits before the 5 secs expire.

Doesn't help much during bodily functions ;-)
.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

alph2z.. A similar arrangement on some flight decks might be useful too!

[Denti]

It is available on flightdecks already. Boeing longrange aircraft have a function to make pilots aware of no user input over some time, and of course nearly every aircraft can use SELCAL (even for VHF) to wake up from ATC calls. Alas ATC doesn't use it... (well, except on HF).

[PeltonLevel]

AP - Monday, April 18, 2011 2:19:00 AM EDT
Air traffic controllers will get an extra hour off between shifts so they don't doze off at work, but officials have rejected another proposed remedy: on-the-job napping.
"On my watch, controllers will not be paid to take naps. We're not going to allow that," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Sunday.
That's exactly the opposite of what scientists and the Federal Aviation Administration's own fatigue working group said was needed.

[rennaps]

I wonder were all these extra controllers for the night shift are going to come from?

[DX Wombat]

Probably the same place the NHS gets any new, fully qualified staff - two minutes after the Secretary of State (at the time) promises them. Your Fairy Godmother will wave her magic wand and lo, they shall appear. :*

[aldegar]

www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/19/us-air-traffic-controller-suspended-samuel-jackson-film?CMP=twt_fd (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/19/us-air-traffic-controller-suspended-samuel-jackson-film?CMP=twt_fd)

[Mike_Retired_ATC]

The FAA always seems to mandate changes to the larger air traffic facilities but rarely mandates the same changes to the smaller facilities (ATC 8 and below). My last three years in the FAA all my mid shifts were worked by myself, prior to that at another facility I worked tower and approach during the mid shifts by myself (10 years). Did I ever fall asleep during a mid, YES.

As I've said before the shift rotations that we worked required quick turns (only 8 hours off between shifts) which often resulted in a controller getting less than 6 hours sleep between shifts. Calling in sick because you didn't get enough sleep was discouraged and would often result in disciplinary action.

[veloo maniam]

It takes one sleeping ctler on duty to wake up a whole organisation. How sad.:ugh: