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US airport tower went silent as planes land: official


WestVirginiaRebel

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WestVirginiaRebel
article.php?id=CNG.552ff9f9a78416c1f5ab7234144d85ce.13c1&show_article=1
Breitbart:

US safety agencies are considering a formal probe into how an air control tower at Washington's Reagan National Airport went silent in the early hours Wednesday, forcing two planes to land without guidance, officials said.

Shortly after midnight Wednesday an American Airlines flight, carrying 97 people including crew, "were unable to reach the tower," and so aborted landing and circled the busy domestic airport as they awaited a response, National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Peter Knudson told AFP.

With the tower silent, the pilot was forced to land by treating the airport "as if it was unstaffed," while announcing the plane's location on the control tower frequency.

Moments later, a United airliner, which was carrying 68 passengers and crew, came into land but was also unable to reach any traffic controller, and landed in a similar manner.

"Shortly after that the controller was responsive," Knudson said, noting there was just one air traffic controller in the tower at the time of the incident.

He was unable to confirm media reports that the controller in question was asleep.

"We're gathering information about the event that occurred, and then determine whether we are going to launch a formal investigation," said Knudson.

"We know that the controller was unresponsive, we don't know why, and of course we are very interested to find out."
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Asleep at the switch? Sounds like most of Washington in general...
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