FAA mandates wake-up calls for controllers
April 28, 2011, 10:27 pm
In the wake of recent incidents involving air traffic control supervisors who fell asleep while monitoring the tower, the Federal Aviation Administration has introduced a mandate that would provide wake up calls or air traffic controllers, according to AVweb.
The plan, announced by FAA administrator Randy Babbit, is intended to make sure controllers working unaccompanied are alert and awake when an aircraft is preparing to land, the source says. The plan would require radar controllers to contact towers in order to confirm that they are prepared for an incoming flight.
During the original event in question that sparked the changes, two aircraft landed without clearance because the air traffic control supervisor fell asleep at his post. According to the source, he later said he had worked four consecutive overnight shifts, which may have contributed to his fatigue. The FAA is reportedly conducting a study of understaffing at airports in order to determine solutions that may prevent this from happening again.
Errors in air traffic control can sometimes lead to a pilot landing an aircraft at the wrong time, which has the potential to result in a fatal crash. It is up to pilots to ensure their families are protected if such a situation occurs, by having pilot life insurance coverage.
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