Squeaker directing air traffic at JFK

[Flipperk]

What sucks is that the kid probably will not able to get near a plane in his life ever again after this...

[Strip]

The kid will never even get his wrist slapped, nor as a minor should he.....

I find myself agreeing with Golfer, this is BS of the highest order.

Strip

[Flipperk]

What I can say is this...kids are a distraction...in a place of ATC with the amount of traffic that goes through JFK what if the kid fell off a chair and broke his arm? You dont think daddy is going to stop looking at the green tube to help his boy? The kid will most likely be screaming his lungs out from the fall and broken arm...it would be nearly impossible for the other ATControllers to do their job efficently.  For that few minutes hes not looking what if something happened to an airliner? Hundreds dead...how do you explain that?

This time it was all fun and games and it was a break from the rigorious routine of the same thing everyday I get that....ive logged close to 1000 hours of flight time and the same thing over and over again sucks sometimes...but like I said...this time it was fine and nothing happened...but you never know what might happen.

[Warspawn]

...what if the kid fell off a chair and broke his arm?  Hundreds dead...how do you explain that?

I've got my single/multi instrument, and single/multi commercial, and it would be much more likely that a UFO would suddenly strike the plane and destroy it, lol.  The kid was supervised by his father who was employed there, and they had his supervisor's permission.  The kid actually sounded better than many regular ATC types I interact with.  No harm in doing that at all.  Talk about over-reaction...

[Flipperk]

Im pretty sure a kid falling out of a chair and breaking his arm is more likely than birds getting caught in the engines of a 737...but we all know that happens as well.

[oakranger]

What I can say is this...kids are a distraction...in a place of ATC with the amount of traffic that goes through JFK what if the kid fell off a chair and broke his arm?

Really!  Go find us data on number of kids falling off a chair and breaking their arm.   

[Warspawn]

Im pretty sure a kid falling out of a chair and breaking his arm is more likely than birds getting caught in the engines of a 737...but we all know that happens as well.

Actually, bird strikes aren't that uncommon at all.  But a pair of birds killing both engines has only happened once in history that I'm aware of.

Here's a great site for that:
http://www.birdstrike.org/events/signif.htm

It would be just as likely that the ATC guy had a stroke or a sudden fit of Tourette's syndrome as his child's chance of falling out of the chair and breaking his arm while talking to traffic  

*edit*  Yipes!  Read that MD-80 out of TX...hit 400 birds.  THAT would certainly make the flight interesting.  Also...cabin depressurization from high-altitude bird strike; never knew of that one.

[Cougar68]

What I can say is this...kids are a distraction...in a place of ATC with the amount of traffic that goes through JFK what if the kid fell off a chair and broke his arm? You dont think daddy is going to stop looking at the green tube to help his boy? The kid will most likely be screaming his lungs out from the fall and broken arm...it would be nearly impossible for the other ATControllers to do their job efficently.  For that few minutes hes not looking what if something happened to an airliner? Hundreds dead...how do you explain that?

This time it was all fun and games and it was a break from the rigorious routine of the same thing everyday I get that....ive logged close to 1000 hours of flight time and the same thing over and over again sucks sometimes...but like I said...this time it was fine and nothing happened...but you never know what might happen.

Let's say the kid were to fall out and break his arm and scream so loud that nobody in the room could talk/hear.  We pilots have enough training to know how to fly without ATC telling us what to do, everything would be fine. 

[Warspawn]

Let's say the kid were to fall out and break his arm and scream so loud that nobody in the room could talk/hear.  We pilots have enough training to know how to fly without ATC telling us what to do, everything would be fine. 

 

[oakranger]

Actually, bird strikes aren't that uncommon at all.  But a pair of birds killing both engines has only happened once in history that I'm aware of.

Here's a great site for that:
http://www.birdstrike.org/events/signif.htm

It would be just as likely that the ATC guy had a stroke or a sudden fit of Tourette's syndrome as his child's chance of falling out of the chair and breaking his arm while talking to traffic  

*edit*  Yipes!  Read that MD-80 out of TX...hit 400 birds.  THAT would certainly make the flight interesting.  Also...cabin depressurization from high-altitude bird strike; never knew of that one.

Vulch Kills!

Date: 7 January 1997
Aircraft: MD-80
Airport: Dallas-Fort Worth (TX)
Phase of Flight: Climb (50’ AGL)
Effect on Flight: Precautionary landing
Damage: Engine & wing
Wildlife Species: Blackbirds (437)
Comments from Report: Aircraft struck over 400 birds just after take off. Almost every part of the plane was hit. Pilot declared an emergency and returned to land without event. Substantial damage was found on various parts of the aircraft. #1 engine had to be replaced. Runway was closed for an hour. Personnel were sent to disperse another large flock on the airfield.

Must have mis-ID the Road Runner


Date: 12 June 1999
Aircraft: Beechcraft 90
Airport: Westchester County (NY)
Phase of Flight: Take off
Effect on Flight: Aborted take off
Damage: Landing gear, nose, engines, props, wings, fuselage, lights
Wildlife Species: Coyote
Comments from Report: Nose gear was torn from aircraft causing other parts of plane to be damaged. Time out of service 5 months, lost revenue $55,000 and cost of repairs $550,000.


Alternative deer hunting.

Date: 17 December 1997
Aircraft: Bellanca Super Viking
Airport: Jefferson County (OH)
Phase of Flight: Take off
Effect on Flight: Aircraft lost power
Damage: Destroyed
Wildlife Species: White-tailed deer
Comments from Report: Aircraft hit a deer on take off and lost power, crashing into a heavily wooded area. Aircraft was destroyed. Pilot was life-flighted out and passenger had minor injuries.

Date: 14 January 2001
Aircraft: Learjet 60
Airport: Troy Municipal (AL)
Phase of Flight: Landing
Effect on Flight: Aircraft slid off runway
Damage: Aircraft destroyed
Wildlife Species: White-tailed deer
Comments from Report: The Learjet collided with two deer and ran off the end of the runway into a ditch because the thrust reversers would not operate. The aircraft burst into flames. Rescuers kept the fire from reaching the pilots for about 40 minutes until they could be removed. The pilot and first officer had serious injuries and were flown to a hospital. The plane was owned by the Dallas Cowboys owner. Cost to replace aircraft $9.5 million. Other costs $25,000.

[Flatbar]

Although harmless this time, deviating from standard safety procedures shouldn't be tolerated when dealing with peoples lives. By not punishing those involved there would be a dangerous precedence set.

I wouldn't call that wussification, I'd call that common sense.

[Plawranc]

The pilots knew what was going on, Dad repeated it clearly and was making sure he did not do the tough stuff and the important stuff.

I thought it was great.

[Cougar68]

Although harmless this time, deviating from standard safety procedures shouldn't be tolerated when dealing with peoples lives. By not punishing those involved there would be a dangerous precedence set.

I wouldn't call that wussification, I'd call that common sense.

That's what people aren't understanding, lives absolutely were not in any kind of danger whatsoever from a child being directed by his father to say "cleared for takeoff" or "contact to departure."  Like Golfer said it was the equivalent of saying Go.  He didn't clear anyone to taxi onto a runway, didn't read off an IFR clearance, nothing of the sort.  He waved the little green flag that the captain of the plane was expecting to here and that's it.  People are way too uptight about anything having to do with airplanes.  

[Chalenge]

Boortz made the point today that when a pilot hears something unexpected like this kid over the radio he is suddenly wide awake alert and looking around. The only thing you hear the kid doing is giving departure clearance which is like saying 'GO!' by the numbers. Maybe its not strictly approved to have kids in the tower but I still feel for ATC... BOHICA.

[MiloMorai]

This was posted on another board.

The FAA could have used this in a positive manner for their reputation by explaining how safe and supervised the system is. They should have shown how that the controller was on the primary set and would have walked on any error. That the supervisor had complete control of the situation and was monitoring that just as he monitors all controller activity. They could have used it to show just how effective the ATC system is rather than let this turn into something ugly. What they did was made it look like the system is so frail that it is always on the point of failure. They could have made something good of it, but didn't because we have brow-beat everyone into submission with the constant harping. Might have helped them get some interest and motivated people to become controllers. No what they did was make people think "hell, don't want no part of working with that kind of gun to my head".