ROK Drop

By on March 3rd, 2010 at 5:51 am

Child Directs Traffic at NY’s JFK Airport

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Are there other parts of the Airport TSA screeners should be working. From CBS News-

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating how a child was allowed to direct air traffic at the nation’s sixth-busiest airport – New York’s JFK International.

As CBS News Correspondent Kelly Wallace reports, the Feb. 17 incident involved a child on the radio to pilots of planes awaiting takeoff. The boy was allowed to make at least five transmissions to commercial jets.

In tapes obtained by CBS News, the boy is clearly heard:

Boy: AMX 403, Contact departures. Adios.

Pilot: Contact departures. Aeromexico 403. Adios.

An adult — reportedly a controller — made sure the pilots were in on the joke, Wallace says.

“That’s what you get guys when the kids are out of school!” the adult says on the tapes.

Another transmission from the tape:

Boy: Jet Blue 171 cleared for takeoff.

Pilot: Cleared for takeoff. Jet blue 171.

Boy: Jet Blue 171 — contact departures.

Pilot: Over to departures. Jet blue 171. Awesome job. (chuckle)

In a statement, the FAA says, “Pending … our investigation, the employees involved in this incident are not controlling air traffic. This behavior is not acceptable and does not demonstrate the kind of professionalism expected from all faa employees.”

Anyone who let this happen should be fired.  Airplanes with hundreds of people on board are not play things. A child at the controls of a jet led to one air disaster. So don’t ever say it can’t happen.

- 494 views
5
  • John
    6:58 am on March 3rd, 2010 1

    Yeah, they should be fired. Too bad the controllers belong to about the most powerful and effective union in DC. Coupled with weak management it is a potent mix for disaster. Classic case of inmates running the asylum…

  • kushibo
    11:23 am on March 3rd, 2010 2

    Take Your Dangers to Work Day.

  • Teadrinker
    12:36 pm on March 3rd, 2010 3

    What ever happened to the Chinese traveler who was arrested (wrongfully so in my opinion) for entering a restricted area at JFK? The door should have been locked. Every time I travel, I see inexperienced, disoriented, and jet-lagged passengers trying to open doors that are clearly marked as being to a restricted area.

  • Songtan1
    8:50 pm on March 3rd, 2010 4

    Nothing like a little "OJT" :lol:

  • JoeC
    10:26 pm on March 3rd, 2010 5

    Is that really true? Didn't Ronald Reagan destroy the PATCO union 30 years ago?

 

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