Air Traffic Controller Hands Reins to Kids
Two weeks ago, several pilots at JFK International Airport in New York - one of the nation's busiest - heard a surprisingly tiny voice directing them from air traffic control. It was a young boy, brought along by his father to dispatch flights.
CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports the transmissions were simple.
"JetBlue (garbled) 171 clear for takeoff," came the voice of the boy.
"Clear for takeoff, JetBlue 171," came the pilot's cheerful reply.
Those JetBlue passengers headed to Sacramento, as many as 179 of them, likely had no idea a child was directing their pilot. Same with an Aeromexico flight headed to Mexico City.
"Amex 403 contact departure. Adios," the boy said.
"Contact departure, Aeromexico 423. Adios," the Aeromexico pilot replied.
In fact the boy was lauded by some of the seemingly amused pilots.
"JetBlue 171 contact departure," the boy said.
The JetBlue pilot's reply: "Over to departures Jetblue 171. Awesome job!"
The boy, whose name and age haven't been disclosed, was apparently supervised by his father, a controller named Glenn Duffy. As if that weren't enough, late Wednesday the FAA told CBS News Duffy allowed another child to interact with pilots the next night - one who sounds even younger than the first.
"Controllers need to respond instantly," said Peter Goelz, former managing staff director of the National Transportation Safety Board. "How you could put a kid there is beyond me."
The pilots seemed to understand the child, but we had difficulty when listening to the recordings.
Wednesday the Federal Aviation Administration called the incident at JFK - which averages 1,050 flights a day - a "lapse in judgment" that "not only violated FAA's own policies but common sense standards for professional conduct."
At one point in the recordings, the boy's father chimes in:
"This is what you get guys when the kids are outta school," the father said.
"Wish I could bring my kid to work," a pilot laughingly replied.
Both Duffy and his supervisor have been placed on leave.
Copyright 2010 CBS. All rights reserved. CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports the transmissions were simple.
"JetBlue (garbled) 171 clear for takeoff," came the voice of the boy.
"Clear for takeoff, JetBlue 171," came the pilot's cheerful reply.
Those JetBlue passengers headed to Sacramento, as many as 179 of them, likely had no idea a child was directing their pilot. Same with an Aeromexico flight headed to Mexico City.
"Amex 403 contact departure. Adios," the boy said.
"Contact departure, Aeromexico 423. Adios," the Aeromexico pilot replied.
In fact the boy was lauded by some of the seemingly amused pilots.
"JetBlue 171 contact departure," the boy said.
The JetBlue pilot's reply: "Over to departures Jetblue 171. Awesome job!"
The boy, whose name and age haven't been disclosed, was apparently supervised by his father, a controller named Glenn Duffy. As if that weren't enough, late Wednesday the FAA told CBS News Duffy allowed another child to interact with pilots the next night - one who sounds even younger than the first.
"Controllers need to respond instantly," said Peter Goelz, former managing staff director of the National Transportation Safety Board. "How you could put a kid there is beyond me."
The pilots seemed to understand the child, but we had difficulty when listening to the recordings.
Wednesday the Federal Aviation Administration called the incident at JFK - which averages 1,050 flights a day - a "lapse in judgment" that "not only violated FAA's own policies but common sense standards for professional conduct."
At one point in the recordings, the boy's father chimes in:
"This is what you get guys when the kids are outta school," the father said.
"Wish I could bring my kid to work," a pilot laughingly replied.
Both Duffy and his supervisor have been placed on leave.
Children benefit most if they are taught respect for a job and the responsibilities that go with it. These children would get a feel for what Daddy does if he brought them on his own time for a short tour and an explanation that only trained people are allowed in certain areas. We learn to expect and respect the need for restricted areas - and it should start when one is young. We do not expect a control tower to be a day care center just as we don't expect emergency room doctors to provide on-the-job child care when their kids' schools are closed.
ATC became 911 on 1/15/09 when we rejoiced over the miracle on the Hudson; it's likely all control tower personnel scrambled that day to contact all other traffic when the call came in. That is when, and why, there is no place for unauthorized personnel in a control tower. It is the standard expected of professionals, including our police and firefighters, who are probably paid much less for jobs where lives are in danger - including their own. Why are so many willing to settle for so-so job performance? That's what led to the promotions and, eventually, the killings at Fort Hood. It takes extra effort to be #1.
And that is where you have touched on something I think needs to be talked about. Why is it, that people who risk their lives, and are in charge of the safety of so many other's lives, get paid so little. And if you take that small amount of pay into account, then realize that crap happends when it comes to day care and kids. I know there was a day last year where my babysitter called out sick, my parents who are my back up were on vacation in cancune, and no one else could take off work to look after my child. That's not poor planning, that's just having a bad day.
I am a pilot and my life can depend on the Air Traffic Controllers, so I would be among the first to complain of a problem. This was Ground Control! The aircraft were on the ground!
Dad standing over his son while his son says what his Dad told him to say is a great thrill for the son who will remember it all his life and look up to Dad with fond memories.
The real irresponsibility lies on the part of LaHood for making a big issue over a non-issue.
No one was harmed or endangered in the incident. No Americans were endangered. Air Traffic Controllers face exceptionally difficult jobs and are harrassed by the FAA constantly with work conditions that most Americans would revolt over.
LaHood should withdraw his out-of-line condemnation, apologize to the controllers and the ATC community.
The damage done by LaHood will last for many generations now in this family as the father has been ridiculed and rebuffed. The damage done by LaHood (and the news media looking to sell advertising time and space) far, far outweighs any possible damage done by this Dad doing what almost every other Dad in America wants to do.
We have the safest air transport system in the world, yet all our transportation infrastructure, airports, navigation, roads, bridges, rails, ports, inland waterways and dams falling apart and unable to bear the loads on them, the only people who should be fired are LaHood and the FAA management.
Anyway, Sharyl Attkisson should also be fired, for headlining that Air "Traffic Controller Hands Reins to Kids", when in fact, there was never more than one minor in the tower cab at a time, and, no child was ever allowed to do anything more than repeat instructions verbatim to planes on the ground.
With all the potential security problems in this country--PARTICULARLY ON AIRLINES--how in the hell did this happen??
This not a joke or a little prank by a dad on the pilots--this is a big time breach of security!!!
Just ask yourself if you would like to be, in any way, on a plane navigated by a kid!!
"Oh, they were just fooling around". What a boatload of crap!!
Political correctness gone wrong - this was obviously scripted - the kid read something off a piece of paper while sitting on his dads knee. One day the press will be accountable for their double standards - one day... In the meantime I hope the dad keeps his job.