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Federal Authorities Investigate Whether Air Traffic Controller Was Asleep on Duty
An alarming report that an air traffic controller may have been asleep at one of the nation's major airports has now drawn the attention of federal authorities.
Pilots in two commercial planes have reported that as they approached the nation's capital Tuesday night, they were unable to contact air traffic control at Reagan National Airport before landing.
The American Airlines and United Airlines planes both had been in contact with regional air traffic controllers before being handed off to Reagan National. The pilots landed their planes safely but without help from the airport tower.
"Tower is apparently unmanned. Called on the phone. Nobody answering, so aircraft went in just as an uncontrolled airport," one pilot said according to recorded radio communication.
In another transmission, a pilot said that "it's happened before."
Federal Authorities Investigate Whether Air Traffic Controller Was Asleep on Duty - ABC News
An alarming report that an air traffic controller may have been asleep at one of the nation's major airports has now drawn the attention of federal authorities.
Pilots in two commercial planes have reported that as they approached the nation's capital Tuesday night, they were unable to contact air traffic control at Reagan National Airport before landing.
The American Airlines and United Airlines planes both had been in contact with regional air traffic controllers before being handed off to Reagan National. The pilots landed their planes safely but without help from the airport tower.
"Tower is apparently unmanned. Called on the phone. Nobody answering, so aircraft went in just as an uncontrolled airport," one pilot said according to recorded radio communication.
In another transmission, a pilot said that "it's happened before."
Federal Authorities Investigate Whether Air Traffic Controller Was Asleep on Duty - ABC News