Air Traffic Controller Suspended for Allowing His Kid To Relay Messages To Pilots

Published on March 3rd, 2010

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.

57 users responded in " Air Traffic Controller Suspended for Allowing His Kid To Relay Messages To Pilots "

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# 1 ikapuza89 said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 3:05 pm

I don’t see what the big deal is…

# 2 overtemp said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 3:12 pm

It’s not like the kid was left alone.

# 3 jbenson2 said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 3:14 pm

#1 Thinks it’s no big deal, but he wasn’t in any of the flights that were taking off and landing.

# 4 admash said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 3:21 pm

How cool is that!

If I was the kid, I would have said “Jetblue 131, this is starfleet command.”

# 5 headshaker said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 3:30 pm

#4 – I think that’s the fear that the FAA had; hence why they suspended him.

I’m sure it was a thrill for the kid, but the potential for disaster was too high.

# 6 Awake said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 3:35 pm

Yes, the father and supervisor should be fired. And the pilots of the airplanes that accepted the kids instructions should have their licenses reviewed.

Suppose this was not a the child of the controller, but some kid issuing bogus instructions for fun. Or worse, some adult issuing bogus instructions with malicious intent. And the pilots obeyed the instructions without challenge.

If anything, this shows a huge weakness in the flight control system.

Personally, I think that the child should never have been in the controller area in the first place… that in itself is a distraction and a lapse in protocol.

# 7 The DON said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 3:45 pm

My my my, the terrorists have won.

I recall the days when an air steward would approach a child during a flight and offer them the chance to see the cockpit (no smutty remarks please). I also remember the awe and wonder that created in me when it happened. Now of course, that is prohibited because of safety fears.

There is no problem with what occurred, other than the FAA cannot allow this sort of thing to happen and maintain a holier than thou image. It would make them appear to be human.

# 8 clancys_daddy said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 3:47 pm

Must have been take your kid to work day. Should they be suspended? yes. Is this some earth shaking issue that needs a complete re tasking of the flight controllers? no. Give him three days off, and an official reprimand and be done with it. To bad the media will milk this for everything they can. The folks in the flight had no idea until they saw the story on the news. The pilots are professionals they did there job and flew the damn plane. I have serious doubts that if the kid had told them something that would endanger the plane they would have complied. They were all aware this was a child.

# 9 AndyMac said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 4:06 pm

#6-The pilots aren’t mindless automatons that will automatically do what they are told. If the kid (or anyone else) had said “Drive your plane into the plane in front of you” I think the pilot would be smart enough to disregard the request.

The planes in question were on the ground. The pilots knew it was a kid and the kid was telling them exactly what they expected to hear. After doing that job for so many years they know what ATC is going to say. At that point it’s all a formality. A very important formality to be sure but still just a formality.

If the father had gotten up and left his child there to run things that would be an offense worth dismissal. I don’t think this warrants that response. Even suspension is pushing it but is at least more reasonable.

People like you are the reason this country is going straight into the crapper. We have become so scared of everything we are afraid to even poke our heads out the door.

# 10 Dallas said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 4:11 pm

Cute but the FAA suspension is justified.

In the Obama administration, kids are not permitted to be relaying air traffic commands to aircraft flying people.

The Cheney administration is gone so forget about kids, parrots, and other talking things running airports. That also goes for military flying atom bombs around the country.

# 11 Anon said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 4:18 pm

No one got hurt, the kid was well supervised. It wasn’t a good idea to put her on the radio repeatedly, but what’s the big deal?

# 12 Greg Allen said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 4:25 pm

Now don’t get your panties in a bunch if these controllers are not punished.

Often, in these situations, there is the principle of controlling authority.

Before America became a bunch of fear-paralyzed jackasses, pilots would let kids hold the steering wheel or cops would let kids sit on the motorcycle or turn on the siren.

It was rarely a problem, if ever. As long as the authorized person remained in total control of the situation — and that sure seems to be the case here.

# 13 RTaylor said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 5:11 pm

Reactionary response to a benign situation. Wake up America, there isn’t a bogey man behind every bush to get your entitled self important ass. Humor, try a dose of it.

# 14 Awake said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 5:31 pm

#12 Greg Allen,

Tell that to the families of the 75 dead in this incident:

Aeroflot Flight 593, was a “Russian Airlines”[1] Airbus A310 passenger airliner, registration F-OGQS, operating on behalf of Aeroflot, which crashed into a hillside in Kemerovo Oblast on 23 March 1994. All 75 passengers and crew were killed.

Voice and flight data recorders revealed that the pilot’s 15-year-old son Eldar Kudrinsky, while seated at the controls, had unknowingly disabled the A310′s autopilot’s control of the ailerons, which put the aircraft into a steep bank, and then an uncontrolled dive. The pilots were not aware of the partial disconnection of the autopilot, which occurred with no audible alarm, and did not regain control of the aircraft.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeroflot_Flight_593

Sorry if I am one of those that thinks that kids playing around at the console of air traffic controllers or pilot seats is highly inappropriate and a sign of disregard to the duties of the task. I must be getting old (and wise) since I would also object to an 8 year old driving a car on the freeway while seated on his father’s lap too…

# 15 Hmeyers said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 5:35 pm

Suspended = free vacation with pay.

Smart father! Air traffic controllers make mega tons of bucks.

Punishment for trivial harmless offense is free week of vacation at taxpayer’s expense.

Brilliant system we have here.

# 16 jbenson2 said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 5:49 pm

#7 said: “My my my, the terrorists have won.”

It’s not a matter of terrorist. It is a matter of common sense.

I wonder how he would feel if his local dentist brought his 7-year-old son to work and allowed the kid to try out the new high-tech drill on one of #7′s cavities.

# 17 Eric said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 6:02 pm

It must suck to be a kid these days.

And judging by some of the posts here, it must really suck to be some of your kids…

# 18 Nik (no C) said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 6:04 pm

So, were there rules broken, hell yes. I’m sure the kids did not have an Airmans Certificate or CTO documentation, nor did they have a class two medical certificate. Title 14 CFR Part 65 subpart B and Part 67 requires this to perform ATC duties.

I might have been more concerned if this happened in a radar environment, where control instructions are MUCH more critical than in a tower environment.

These kids said “Cleared for Takeoff” and “Contact Departure”. I can train a monkey to do the same. The dad was giving the MORE critical instruction of “Position and Hold”.

Fair discipline, smack the controller and supervisor twice in the mouth on national TV and tell them to get back to work. Probably won’t happen since NATCA is letting these two fry.

I have 16 years of ATC (military) experience.

# 19 bobbo, keeping the truth as a touchstone said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 6:27 pm

Nik–given all the circumstances was there a “real” threat to safety or just a violation of rules?

To that end, seems to me that ONLY the supervisor should have been suspended or had a note placed in his file or whatever LOW LEVEL advice was given.

Humans just LOVE MAKING RULES and then PUNISHING THOSE WHO DISOBEY. We have that in ATC and in fact its how we construct all our religions.

Its as if our society is built and maintained on the issues of having and enforcing rules, regardless of what they are and what they mean, RATHER THAN raising our kiddies.

We fail so miserably to raise our kiddies that we have what we have.

Silly Hoomans.

# 20 ROB WEST said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 6:49 pm

“what’s the big deal?”
Just a few hundred lives.
I don’t want to hear “No, Daddy said Flt 209 okay to take off.”

# 21 Nik (no C) said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 6:49 pm

I don’t see a REAL threat given this situation. Listening to the tape, I could pick apart numerous phraseology errors, utilizing ATC frequencies for non-ATC related transmissions. This isn’t exclusive to JFK, it happens EVERYWHERE. Where it becomes dangerous is when the BS transmissions affect safety of flight. There are NUMEROUS safety controls in place to prevent what the “chicken littles” are spouting off on this thread.

Since websites like liveatc.net streams control tower, approach and center frequencies, much more scrutiny is placed on the National Airspace System by the general public. I’m sure someone with nothing better to do dialed in JFK tower and asked, isn’t he a little young.

# 22 roastedpeanuts said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 7:20 pm

$14, awake, get real:

1) The kid is with his air traffic controller dad and is clearly being told *exactly to do and say*.
2) The kid is giving takeoff approvals, not movements. If the kid managed to screw up the ok the dad would have more than enough time to stop the problem.
3) We also don’t have the audio *before* the clip. I’m betting the dad prepped the pilots and told them what he was doing before he let his kid on.
4) The kid clearly made the pilots’ day.

Obviously kids should not be controlling our air traffic systems or our planes but this was not some kid screwing with pilots in an uncontrolled manner.

# 23 whipjacka said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 7:23 pm

this was an appropriate reaction to an employee breaking the rules..why is this story even on here?

# 24 GetReal said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 7:24 pm

#15 said, “Air traffic controllers make mega tons of bucks.” You also used the word “brilliant” in a sarcastic manner, indicating that you believe air traffic controllers are paid too much and have it easy.

Sir or Madam, you know NOTHING about it – LESS THAN NOTHING.

Air traffic controllers have some of the most stressful jobs in the world. The lives of thousands of people are in their hands every moment they work. Many burn out at a young age. Some fall into alcoholism – as did two of my instructors. Many get ulcers – as did another of my instructors. The stresses put severe strains on family life also. They don’t get paid NEAR what they should.

It was nice of you to put your name on the post. Now we know exactly what to expect next time we see it – ignorant BS.

I have 3 years of ATC (military) experience.

PS – Greetings to Nik (no C)

# 25 bobbo, keeping the truth as a touchstone said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 7:27 pm

#23–whip==your comment is totally appropriate in response to a breaking news story, why are you posting?

# 26 bobbo, keeping the truth as a touchstone said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 7:30 pm

Stress? Stress is CAUSED BY not knowing what you are doing or having sensory overload.

ATC does require attention and concentration. Not the same thing.

# 27 The0ne said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 7:57 pm

So much for bring your kids to work day ha!

# 28 endigo said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 8:14 pm

If the planes are in danger because of this, then we have no business flying planes.

It was obviously a slow time on the air as air traffic control goes. The pilots enjoyed the experience. The kids might have grown up to be the best damn air traffic controllers ever… if not for the negative experience that the FAA is giving them.

# 29 sargasso said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 8:36 pm

Air traffic controllers have families?

# 30 Nik (no C) said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 8:46 pm

#29 – Yes, we do.

# 31 BigBoyBC said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 8:54 pm

I think the real issue here is that the kids were doing a better job than the adults…

# 32 Cpt Oveur said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 9:05 pm

All that happened was the pilots were instructed to change frequencies at the appropriate moment in their flight to do so. They heard children being instructed by adults. Was it the right thing to do? Probably not. But the only person who needs to be disciplined is the supervisor who allowed children into the tower. Now get over it.

# 33 Mom said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 9:14 pm

Unbelievable. It’s not about terrorists winning or people getting their “panties in a bunch” over nothing as some have commented. This is not nothing. Its about professionalism in a job where mistakes can result in serious injuries or deaths of passengers and crew. What if your mother or sister were on a plane that crashed as a result of some kid giving out instructions to the pilots?
There have been near misses at airports where the ATC gave conflicting directions to incoming pliots. Yes, the job is stressful, not because the ATC’s are incompetent, but because they are aware that they could accidentally hurt or kill someone if they screw up. I think that the ATC and his supervisor should be summarily fired, thereby sending a clear message that this cannot happen. They obviously do not value their jobs enough to be concerned for the safety of passengers and crew or exercise even a modicum of common sense.

# 34 Serious said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 9:17 pm

This would have gone unnoticed and probably quite common place if it wasn’t posted online. Personally don’t feel it is a big deal even if i was in the plane. The kid was supervised.

# 35 Gary said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 9:41 pm

I love how all the TV “newscasters”, many websites and assorted pundits have been spinning this as the kid was directing the planes. He was doing no such thing, he was parroting the words his father gave him, period. And the entire time his father was on a headset with him. And NONE of the instructions being given were in any way the type that requires any sort of split second decisions on ANYONE’S part, not the controller nor the pilot.

Much ado about nothing.

# 36 anthony said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 10:10 pm

I think the child actually did a great job, but what an idiot the parent is. What do you expect is going to happen if you let your child direct airplanes at one of the world’s busiest airports. After second thought, keep the kid at the controls, anything to keep the idiot parent away.

http://www.failpick.com/2010/3/child-directs-air-traffic-at-busy-jfk-airport

# 37 deowll said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 10:43 pm

The stuffed shirts got their undies in a wad.

# 38 lens42 said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 10:50 pm

Why does the response to every one of these screw-ups have to be that the person gets fired? Demanding that everyone do their jobs perfectly will result in no one left to do work. If this controller had a good work record, the correct response would be to note the lapse on his record, issue some sort of reprimand, and get on with work. It pretty clear that this guy will be very careful in the future. Probably more careful than the person who replaces him. You have to consider what will result in the safest skies going forward, and I doubt firing this guy gives that result. Where is the common sense?

# 39 martfin said, on March 3rd, 2010 at 11:29 pm

I have to ask a question here, Hands up who went to work with their dads growing up? My hands in the air. My dad used to work on the railways in the UK (pretty dangerous environment) and as a 12 year old I can remember going to work with him for his full 12 hour shift during the school holidays. Guess what happened I ended up becoming a locomotive engineer and driving trains because of those experiences when I grew up. Now I think this guy and his supervisor had a pretty big lapse in judgement, but his kid did as instructed and the dad took care of all the safety related commands. What is the big deal. I wish the world wasn’t so uptight (especially here in the USA) and always looking for someone to blame or string up. The crazy part is people none of us and I repeat NONE OF US are perfect and at some point we have had a similar lapse in judgement, we were just lucky and didn’t have someone post our lapse on the internet for everyone to see and comment on. Slap the guy and his supervisor on the wrist and move on!

# 40 Dan "The Man" Lavitan said, on March 4th, 2010 at 3:10 am

martfin: i remember being encouraged by my dad to achieve what i wanted, and i remember him providing everything he could to help me.
to everyone, what if this child wanted to be an ATC when he grew up? to be a pilot? hell, to be ground crew even?
I would be very surprised now if this kid wants to do that any more, especially with the furore that has happened around what is essentially a lapse in judgement by the adults involved.

All the planes involved were on the ground, taxing to the runway.
I have never been in a working cockpit (due to never flying in a plane till after 9/11) but I have seen through the windscreens of junked planes and I am 100% certain, had the child issued an incorrect order, the pilots would have compensated for it with their professional experience.

Especially since the “don’t run up the arse of the big white plane in front of you” rule is probably pretty cemented in their minds by now.

# 41 Kristin Mattews said, on March 4th, 2010 at 3:57 am

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.

# 42 bdgbill said, on March 4th, 2010 at 5:35 am

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.

# 43 Nik (no C) said, on March 4th, 2010 at 6:24 am

#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.

# 44 Vonchiz said, on March 4th, 2010 at 7:31 am

Puh-lease. Anyone who thinks that this is a terrifying and life-threatening incident please remove the telephone pole from up your posterior.

# 45 wirelessg said, on March 4th, 2010 at 9:43 am

#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.

# 46 audion said, on March 4th, 2010 at 9:52 am

This had better be No Agenda’s “Distraction of the Week”.

# 47 Airforce Pilot said, on March 4th, 2010 at 10:17 am

#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.

# 48 Richmidd said, on March 4th, 2010 at 12:42 pm

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

# 49 Whaap said, on March 4th, 2010 at 1:15 pm

Suspension is FAR too light. The asshole should be prosecuted for criminal negligence at the very least.

# 50 RSweeney said, on March 4th, 2010 at 4:51 pm

so much for taking your kids to work day

# 51 Nephelometers said, on March 4th, 2010 at 6:01 pm

I agree with headshaker… not a good idea after all… Anyways, thanks for this post..

# 52 Animby said, on March 4th, 2010 at 8:12 pm

# 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!

# 53 Thirdstonefromsun said, on March 5th, 2010 at 2:35 am

#52 That would make the interns 5 years older than you

# 54 Animby said, on March 5th, 2010 at 3:16 am

Thank you, 3rd. I was afraid I was losing my prepubescent charms…

# 55 Wizzard said, on March 5th, 2010 at 3:19 am

#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)

# 56 Greg Allen said, on March 5th, 2010 at 7:42 pm

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.

# 57 rhys607 said, on March 8th, 2010 at 1:33 pm

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.

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