Snoozing air traffic controller raises alarm

The controller was all alone at Reagan National in Washington, D.C. as the pilots of two jetliners were trying to land.(the person has been suspended). So far, there's been lots of finger pointing: The union representing air-traffic controllers has criticized the FAA for its policy of having only person on duty during off hours, while FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said he was "personally outraged that this controller did not meet his responsibility to help land these two airplanes." From USA Today:

One of the top concerns of investigators will be to determine whether fatigue played a role, as has occurred numerous times during previous investigations. "Air traffic controllers have notoriously difficult schedules that are prone to inducing profound levels of impairment associated with sleep deficiency," says Chuck Czeisler, a Harvard University Medical School professor who specializes in sleep research. The issue arose during the NTSB's investigation of the Aug. 27, 2006, crash at Lexington that killed 49 people. A controller on duty when the jet attempted to take off on a dark, closed runway at 6 a.m. told investigators that he had only two hours of sleep during the previous 24 hours.

In the Reagan National incident, both planes landed safely, helped along by regional air traffic controllers. The FAA has been embarking on a massive long-range plan to further automate the air traffic system, limiting the interaction between pilot and controller. This is hugely controversial because, among other reasons, there could be less need for air traffic personnel. Still, some will argue that what happened in D.C. is one of those instances where an automated system might have worked better.