An air traffic controller at New York’s Kennedy Airport was suspended for allowing his young son to radio instructions to several pilots.
The few quick exchanges between the elementary-school-aged child and jets waiting to take off from JFK, one of the nation’s busiest airports, appeared to delight pilots at the time.
“I wish I could bring my kid to work,” one said, wistfully.
But the Federal Aviation Administration suspended the controller and a supervisor on Wednesday after recordings of the calls were posted on the internet, then reported on by a Boston television station.
“This lapse in judgment not only violated FAA’s own policies, but common sense standards for professional conduct. These kinds of distractions are totally unacceptable,” FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said in a statement. “This kind of behaviour does not reflect the true calibre of our work force.”
On the recording, which lasts about a minute, the boy appears to repeat instructions fed to him by his father. At no time does the child tell aircraft how to manoeuvre or where they should go.
Should he have been suspended? Must have been a thrill for the kid.
But it is clear that the transmissions are guided and are based on instructions of the father. I personally think that this could have avoided if there are clear instructions to employees that the tower should be for employees alone; no son, no wife or visitors whatsoever. This may be amusing now but thanks goodness nothing serious happened.
The guy should have been fired. Every supervisor that knew there was a kid in the control tower should have been fired.
The issue isn’t so much that the kid spoke to planes on the radio. It’s the fact that he was in the tower at all. I thought the control tower of a major international airport was a super serious military like environment. Apparently not. This job is supposed to be super high stress and require laser like focus at all times. How is this guy minding his children while doing that?
If the story was that this guy was caught playing video games on his iPhone while working everyone would be freaking out. Because the story involves Precious Children we are all supposed to think it’s cute.
It’s lucky we didn’t have two planes fly into each other because little Timmy was playing with the stapler.
#42 – “I thought the control tower of a major international airport was a super serious military like environment.” Control towers are secure areas, but until this point, fairly easy to get a tour of an FAA tower. There are no secrets up there. More limited in room to accommodate a tour.
And to everyone who says how STRESSFUL ATC is, it is only stressful if you have no idea what you are doing. Most controllers have a blast in what they do.
There is a healthy relationship that pilots and controllers have. Pilots think ATC is trying to kill them and ATC thinks pilots are stupid. It is an attitude that keeps the system honest. In the last 16 years, I have saved some pilots asses, and they have saved mine.
Quit knee-jerking the situation and making decisions angry. This isn’t a big deal.
Puh-lease. Anyone who thinks that this is a terrifying and life-threatening incident please remove the telephone pole from up your posterior.
#10 Why is this a political issue? This has been against official policy since FAA wrote the rules.
Of course, Cheney brought George to work with him everyday and look what happened.
This had better be No Agenda’s “Distraction of the Week”.
#6 exactly right
#9 So. when I go into surgery for a Hip replacement, I should let the Doctors nine year old preform the surgery because he is watched? The Kid is clearly a distraction. Had something gone awry, then they would be singing “Why was the kid doing this”? This is unacceptable behavior.
Having been in ATC once upon a time I don’t feel any aircraft were in danger. It is obvious to any controller that these children were instructed as to what to say. The phraseology used was correct
and only a controller would know this.
The danger MAY come from distraction of other controllers. Discipline may be in order for this
reason.
The media again prefers sensationalism to facts
Suspension is FAR too light. The asshole should be prosecuted for criminal negligence at the very least.
so much for taking your kids to work day
I agree with headshaker… not a good idea after all… Anyways, thanks for this post..
# 47 Airforce Pilot said, “I should let the Doctors nine year old preform the surgery because he is watched?”
That would be irresponsible. All the interns I supervise are at least 15!
#52 That would make the interns 5 years older than you
Thank you, 3rd. I was afraid I was losing my prepubescent charms…
#6 Correct
#47 agree
#53 LOL
The underlying point is..The kid should not have been in the tower in the first place. Yeah I know ” he is the atc son, Daughter etc” “Nothing went wrong” “He was supervised” Open your eyes. He/she was not qualified, did not belong on the radios, talking with Pilots.
The qualifications are:
Education and training. There are three main pathways to become an air traffic controller with the FAA. The first is air traffic controllers with prior experience through either the FAA or the Department of Defense as a civilian or veteran. Second are applicants from the general public. These applicants must have 3 years of progressively responsible full-time work experience, have completed a full 4 years of college, or a combination of both. In combining education and experience, 1 year of undergraduate study—30 semester or 45 quarter hours—is equivalent to 9 months of work experience. The third way is for an applicant to have successfully completed an aviation-related program of study through the FAA’s Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) program. In 2008, there were 31 schools in the AT-CTI program”
“Other qualifications. Air traffic controllers must be articulate to give pilots directions quickly and clearly. Intelligence and a good memory also are important because controllers constantly receive information that they must immediately grasp, interpret, and remember. Decisiveness also is required because controllers often have to make quick decisions. The ability to concentrate is crucial because controllers must make these decisions in the midst of noise and other distractions.” I am certain the kid did not meet this criteria..(http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos108.htm)
Awake,
Even though your story is horrible (and pretty anomalous, I suspect), I’m just not worried about children causing airplane crashes.
What worries me more? Overworked and underpaid pilots. Outsourced and under-funded airplane maintenance. Antiquated flight control technology in over crowded skies.
But kids crashing planes? No.
When I was a child my Dad took me to work in the summer months. He was a jet engine mechanic in the Air Force. He taught me how to safety wire the nozzles in the afterburner. I did this task countless times and can proudly say that no military jets were harmed in the making of those memories. My Dad’s superior officers thought it was cool. He was right there supervising my work and double checking everything. The same applies to the FAA incident I am sure. The ATC was not having a lunch break and letting his child run his sector. He was there looking over the childs shoulder and monitoring everything he said. I think the FAA brass need to chill out.