In response to incidents in which air traffic controllers have fallen asleep on the job, the FAA said it will place an additional air traffic controller on the midnight shift at 27 control towers around the country that are currently staffed with only one controller during that time.
The FAA said a controller fell asleep Wednesday morning at Reno-Tahoe Airport and was unresponsive for 16 minutes while a medical flight carrying an ill patient was trying to land. The pilot was in communication with the Northern California Terminal Radar Approach Control and landed safely, the FAA said.
The FAA said it has suspended the controller while it investigates the incident.
On March 24, the lone controller at Washington’s Reagan National Airport fell asleep during the overnight shift, and two commercial jets landed without a controller’s assistance. The FAA responded by suspending the controller and ordering the presence of two controllers during the overnight shift at Reagan National.
The FAA is investigating similar recent incidents in which controllers fell asleep at Boeing Field in Seattle and Preston Smith Airport in Lubbock, Texas.
"I am totally outraged by these incidents. This is absolutely unacceptable," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "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."
“Air traffic controllers are responsible for making sure aircraft safely reach their destinations,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “We absolutely cannot and will not tolerate sleeping on the job. This type of unprofessional behavior does not meet our high safety standards.”
Next week, Babbitt and National Air Traffic Controllers Association President Paul Rinaldi are visiting air traffic facilities around the country to “reinforce the need for all air traffic personnel to adhere to the highest professional standards,” the FAA said.
The FAA said it is examining staffing and scheduling of air traffic controllers.