DCA ATC goes silent, pilots land themselves. Controller Asleep? | FerrariChat
Buy

DCA ATC goes silent, pilots land themselves. Controller Asleep?

Discussion in 'Aviation Chat' started by 430man, Mar 23, 2011.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. 430man

    430man Formula Junior

    Jan 18, 2011
    489
    #1 430man, Mar 23, 2011
    A weird story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/tower-at-reagan-national-goes-silent-as-planes-attempt-to-land/2011/03/23/AB9aslKB_story.html

    gets weirder: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/42237593/ns/travel-business_travel/

    I was surprised DCA would only have one controller on duty even at midnight. Either way to play off the other thread, don't worry about the aircraft, worry about the people.
     
  2. Jedi

    Jedi Moderator
    Moderator Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Mar 18, 2008
    32,231
    Seattle Area
    Full Name:
    Dave
    #2 Jedi, Mar 23, 2011
    WTF? How can there be only ONE controller on duty at Reagan? Something
    TOTALLY fishy here.....

    Jedi
     
  3. donv

    donv Two Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Jan 5, 2002
    25,980
    Portland, Oregon
    Full Name:
    Don
    #3 donv, Mar 23, 2011
    Apparently, one controller is normal staffing there after a certain time. The last time this happened, the guy locked himself out-- did something different happen this time?
     
  4. velocetwo

    velocetwo F1 World Champ

    Dec 11, 2006
    12,545
    Left Coast
    #4 velocetwo, Mar 24, 2011
    Your tax dollars asleep.
     
  5. JLF

    JLF Formula 3

    Sep 8, 2009
    1,704
    #5 JLF, Mar 24, 2011
    Last edited: Mar 24, 2011
    Knee jerk reaction is the guy needs to be fired but we dont know anything about his work schedule or what circumstances he may have been in.
    Heck, twice in ATL hartsfield in 12 years i've landed without a clearance because we forgot to switch to tower due to fatigue or being overly busy. Never heard a word about it.
     
  6. Jedi

    Jedi Moderator
    Moderator Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Mar 18, 2008
    32,231
    Seattle Area
    Full Name:
    Dave
    #6 Jedi, Mar 24, 2011
    Heard on the news today he had worked 3 over-nighters in a row....

    Just amazing... there were no backup controllers.

    Jedi
     
  7. S Brake

    S Brake F1 World Champ

    Aug 3, 2006
    17,182
    Utah
    Full Name:
    Dave
    #7 S Brake, Mar 24, 2011
    Good thing I never fly into DCA. Crap, never mind.
     
  8. JLF

    JLF Formula 3

    Sep 8, 2009
    1,704
    #8 JLF, Mar 24, 2011
    Eh.......... if the runways clear, just land. Thats a heck of alot better than flying into P-56.
     
  9. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
    Consultant

    Nov 29, 2003
    8,017
    Shoreline,Washington
    Full Name:
    Robert Parks
    #9 Bob Parks, Mar 25, 2011
    I think that we should step back and take a look at load or conditions that this controller was working under before we crucify the guy. If this was his third all night shift like they said, I think that the managers need a talking to. And not only for his working midnight shifts in a row but for being the only one on duty in the middle of the night at DCA. I have been where this guy is and it is damn difficult to work against your circadian rhythm for short stints.
     
  10. Jedi

    Jedi Moderator
    Moderator Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Mar 18, 2008
    32,231
    Seattle Area
    Full Name:
    Dave
    #10 Jedi, Mar 25, 2011
    Good balanced view Bob... but sounds logical to me.....

    Jedi
     
  11. GuyIncognito

    GuyIncognito Nine Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Jun 30, 2007
    99,482
    #11 GuyIncognito, Mar 25, 2011
    seriously?

    yikes.

    :eek:
     
  12. Jason Crandall

    Jason Crandall F1 Veteran

    Mar 25, 2004
    6,375
    ATL/CHS/MIA
    Full Name:
    Jason
    #12 Jason Crandall, Mar 25, 2011
    This really isn't that big of a deal in terms of safety. The planes in the area can talk to one another and make decisions about who lands next.

    It is a pretty big deal in terms of the guy that screwed up though. Interesting story none the less.
     
  13. 430man

    430man Formula Junior

    Jan 18, 2011
    489
    #13 430man, Mar 25, 2011
    Bob, I've read the comments about this story on many blogs etc and I think the consensus view is pretty much like yours. They don't blame the controller as much as the procedures that allowed it to happen. -- As for the folks saying this is no big deal, that's got merit to a point. The problem is of course, when you've got 200+ pax in a single plane the penalty for failure is mighty darn high. (see also asymmetrical threats)

    Here's one of the more interesting takes I've read on this. http://hotair.com/archives/2011/03/24/travel-advice-you-should-heed-skip-the-red-eye-into-reagan-national/
     
  14. toggie

    toggie F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Nov 30, 2003
    19,036
    Virginia
    Full Name:
    Toggie (Ron)
    #14 toggie, Mar 25, 2011
    Agree. At most of the smaller tower-controlled airports in our area, there are hours each day where no controller is scheduled to be on duty. The tower frequency becomes the CTAF during those hours and the airport changes to uncontrolled airport procedures.

    I wish the news articles knew enough about flying to understand that planes can land without a tower safely. Even large planes do this occasionally.

    Still bad news for the controller though. Hope it wasn't the same guy who had is young daughter work the mike and announce clearances that one night.
     
  15. Jason Crandall

    Jason Crandall F1 Veteran

    Mar 25, 2004
    6,375
    ATL/CHS/MIA
    Full Name:
    Jason
    #15 Jason Crandall, Mar 25, 2011
    All the Tower does is line up the planes for takeoff on landing. Just because Tower is down doesn't mean ATC is down. They're 2 different things working in 2 different buildings on completely different frequencies. At a large airport, ATC could probably be pretty effective at sorting the order of landings if it were IMC which it wasn't. If Tower were down, no planes would be able to takeoff anyways so the runways would be clear for landing aircraft only automatically.

    This is a non event.
     
  16. donv

    donv Two Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Jan 5, 2002
    25,980
    Portland, Oregon
    Full Name:
    Don
    #16 donv, Mar 25, 2011
    I can understand a controller nodding off, but how does he or she not wake up when they hear the radio, or the phone ringing, or the squawk box?
     
  17. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
    Consultant

    Nov 29, 2003
    8,017
    Shoreline,Washington
    Full Name:
    Robert Parks
    #17 Bob Parks, Mar 25, 2011
    I feel the same way about the big deal made out of landing " without control". The pilots in the pattern or about to be can communicate and announce their positions and intensions and just land. It is standard procedure around here at night in a controlled or uncontrolled field. Tell everybody where you are and what you're doing. I feel bad for this guy because I have experienced sleep deprivation and it is like gravity, it never sleeps( pun intended). It takes over and you never know it. Four nights of mid-night till dawn duty ALONE! Come on!
     
  18. Paul N

    Paul N Karting

    Aug 8, 2006
    62
    Orange County, CA
    Full Name:
    Paul
    #18 Paul N, Mar 29, 2011
    ha. this ones of the cases where you tie town, call up the FAA and tell them that they need to call YOU. :)
     

Share This Page