Also remember the mid-air in Switzerland a couple of years ago where the
controller took a break in the middle of the night.

Mike Schumann

"Chris" wrote in message
...

"Philip S." wrote in message
...
Sorry if this has been mentioned before, but I just saw a story on my
local
news (in the Pacific Northwest) about an incident at SeaTac airport on
April
11th, and this is the first I've heard of it.

Apparently, there was a period of about 30 minutes on that day (no
mention
as to what time of day) when no incoming flights could get a response
from
the tower. The security guard at the tower was eventually asked to
investigate, and it seems that the lone controller on duty had fallen
asleep. The story ended by noting that the FAA now required two
controllers
on duty in the SeaTac tower at all times.

Anybody else hear of this? I'm guessing that it couldn't have been during
a
busy time, as that would have caused utter chaos. I'm also guessing that
this sort of thing isn't unprecedented.

Well what about this one then!

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100n...name_page.html

A PILOT told holidaymakers he could not land at Cardiff International
Airport because an air traffic controller was on a tea break.

Bemused and frustrated passengers on board the flight from Tenerife spent
almost half-an- hour circling the airport until the plane was finally
allowed to land.

The captain of the flight, which landed at 12.40am on Saturday, reportedly
told his passengers that he had "never encountered anything like it" in
all the years he had been flying.............................