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.
I don’t see what the big deal is…
It’s not like the kid was left alone.
#1 Thinks it’s no big deal, but he wasn’t in any of the flights that were taking off and landing.
How cool is that!
If I was the kid, I would have said “Jetblue 131, this is starfleet command.”
#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.
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.
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.
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.
#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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
#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…
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.
#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.
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.
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.
“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.”
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.
$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.
this was an appropriate reaction to an employee breaking the rules..why is this story even on here?
#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)
#23–whip==your comment is totally appropriate in response to a breaking news story, why are you posting?
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.
So much for bring your kids to work day ha! 🙂
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.
Air traffic controllers have families?
#29 – Yes, we do.
I think the real issue here is that the kids were doing a better job than the adults…