Near crash blamed on rebel air controller
January 23, 2012, 10:45 am
Last June, an air traffic controller instructed two planes towards each other near Gulfport, Mississippi, and was disciplined for his lack of safety precautions. The U.S. Transportation Safety Board is investigating the near mid-air collision of the two planes to determine if the air controller made a mistake or purposefully disregarded policy and procedure.
According to The Associated Press, a regional jet and a single-engine Cessna came within 300 feet of colliding with one another after the controller cleared them for take off on perpendicular runways at the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport. After clearing both pilots within seconds of each other, the air controller failed to issue any warning about the intersecting paths of takeoff. Rather, another controller in the room screamed out that two planes were about to collide.
The air traffic controller had been working in the aviation industry for 23 years, and was suspended several times for tardiness, absenteeism and failure to report an arrest for driving under the influence. Trainees under the air controller also complained that he would stick in the back of the room during sessions with his feet up and his eyes closed, the source reported.
This particular air traffic controller is an example of how the Federal Aviation Administration has struggled to discipline controllers due to a tight contract with union workers. More than 40 percent of air controllers the FAA tried to terminate between October 2009 and May 2010 were able to keep their jobs or retire due to the contract agreement, Bloomberg reported.
While most air traffic controllers are responsible and professional, the rare worker who fails to follow safe practices can put pilots and passengers in danger. To protect against these rare occurrences or other unexpected events, pilots should invest in pilot insurance.
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