An air traffic controller was suspended Wednesday when he was found sleeping while a medical flight was landing in Nevada. This is the fifth lapse so far this year among controllers at the nation’s airports. Four involved sleeping controllers.
“I am totally outraged by these incidents,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement. “this is absolutely unacceptable. The American public trusts us to run a safe system. Safety is our No.1 priority and I am committed to working 24/7 until these problems are corrected.”. This is the same Ray LaHood who gave us “cash for clunkers” and the Toyota rapid acceleration problem that was found to be driver error.
The other incidents were similar. The FAA put two controllers on duty during the midnight shift at Reno-Tahoe, but went back to one after implementing new procedures just last month.
Elsewhere two jets landed at Washington’s Reagan National Airport without assistance after the lone air-traffic supervisor fell asleep. The FAA found controller sleeping on the job in February at McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville. A controller in Seattle was suspended for falling asleep during a morning shift on Monday. He had fallen asleep on two other occasions during an evening shift in January. Plus, two controllers in Lubbock, Texas were suspended after two failed hand offs two weeks ago.
In the private sector, how would this be resolved? First, all would be fired. Look at the government investigation of the BP oil spill. Next, technology would be put in place to monitor the work of the controllers. Cameras would be installed at all units with a central monitoring station. Anyone not awake would be given a alarm warning immediately.
How did LaHood say he would resolve the problem? By putting two controllers everywhere. It’s only money. Hiring hundreds of new controllers is his answer.
