Nullary Sources

An air traffic controller has been suspended for watching a movie when he was supposed to be monitoring aircraft, deepening the Federal Aviation Administration’s embarrassment following at least five cases of controllers sleeping on the job.

In the latest incident, the controller was watching a movie on a DVD player early Sunday morning while on duty at a regional radar center near Cleveland, Ohio that handles high-altitude air traffic, the FAA said in a statement Monday.

The controller’s microphone was inadvertently activated, transmitting the audio of the movie — the 2007 crime thriller “Cleaner,” starring Samuel L. Jackson — for more than three minutes to all the planes in the airspace that the controller was supposed to be monitoring, the agency said.

Well at least he wasn’t asleep at his post am I right folks.

Remember how in March there was this big foofaraw because a few airplanes making late-night landings at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport had to do so unassisted because the sole air traffic controller manning the tower had fallen asleep? And how the FAA bumped up those shifts to have two controllers so that one could cover the other?

It turns out that a few days later, the FAA instituted new “landing protocols” and then removed the two-person requirement. The new protocols involve keeping in contact with another control tower in case one can’t be contacted. Problem solved!

The new protocols were quickly put to the test early Wednesday when a Sierra Lifeflight plane with a patient onboard had to land on its own at the Reno airport. The traffic controller was out of contact for about 16 minutes.

See, nothing to worry abo–whoa wait just a minute

The FAA immediately launched an investigation and suspended the air traffic controller. Asked about who’s responsible for the incident, Gregor said “the controller fell asleep.”

Oh for the love of

U.S. Rep. John Mica, D-Fla., chairman of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, objected to adding more controllers at airports where nighttime traffic is light.

“Only in the federal government would you double up on workers, averaging $161,000 per year in salary and benefits, that aren’t doing their job,” Mica said in a statement. “This staffing increase misdirects our resources and focus away from congested air traffic control facilities,” he said.

THE WHOLE REASON FOR DOING THIS IS THAT THEY’RE NOT DOING THEIR JOB

THAT IS ESSENTIALLY THE POINT OF REDUNDANCY

MR. MICA WHY DO YOU WANT US TO DIE