News
FAA: Child in air traffic tower talking to pilots 'not acceptable'
By: cnn.comPosted On: 03/03/2010 11:46 A
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating after an air traffic controller at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport brought his young child to work and allowed the child to communicate with planes, a source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN.
"Pending the outcome of our investigation, the employees involved in this incident are not controlling air traffic," the FAA said in a statement. "This behavior is not acceptable and does not demonstrate the kind of professionalism expected from all FAA employees."
However, Dave Pascoe, owner of liveatc.net, a Web site where the recording of the air traffic communications is posted, told CNN he believes the incident is "ridiculous" and has been "blown out of proportion."
In the recording, a child can be heard saying "Jet Blue 171, cleared for takeoff."
A man is then heard telling the plane, "Here's what you get, guys, when the kids are out of school."
The pilot chuckles and says, "Wish I could bring my kid to work." The same pilot later tells the child he did an "awesome job."
During the recording, which is dated February 17, the child also speaks to an apparent Air Mexico flight.
The source confirmed the incident to CNN. A second controller who was supposed to be in charge at the time "should be making sure that things like this don't happen," the source said.
The controller who brought the child to work later reported that he had done so, the source said. The controllers involved have been assigned to other duties pending the outcome of the investigation.
But Pascoe said, "Nobody in the aviation community felt like this was anything more than a noble thing, that a father would take his kid to work.
"And when you listen to any of the recordings, the situation in the tower is very controlled. There is no hint ... that anyone was too busy or anyone was interrupting the planes. The kid cleared two airplanes. It was very controlled and I don't think safety was compromised, nor should anyone be disciplined for this," said Pascoe, who is also a pilot.
The recording was from a network of receivers, he said, but couldn't reveal the source. The site, he said, exists for pilot education and sometimes other curious parties listen in. There was "absolutely no security threat" posed by the incident, he said.
"I have every belief that they'd make sure there were additional eyes there," Pascoe said. "Only the best of the best work at JFK tower and they are the best at what they do."
"It was one incident where a kid was up in the control tower," he said. "If you know anything about aviation, you know that the air traffic control towers are highly supervised. JFK is highly supervised. It's not just one controller controlling the runway. Supervisors are there and multiple people are there making sure by looking through binoculars and at radar ... a father was taking a child to work and let the kid clear planes for take off and now the world thinks it's an unsafe place."
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the union representing controllers, said in a statement, "We do not condone this type of behavior in any way.
"It is not indicative of the highest professional standards that controllers set for themselves and exceed each and every day in the advancement of aviation safety," association spokesman Doug Church said in the statement.
But "this is a ridiculous story," Pascoe said. "... It was blown out of proportion. Considering how skittish the public is, maybe it shouldn't be done, but I think there should be a procedure to allow visitors in the control tower."
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