DCA tower issues

If there's only one controller on duty, what's the procedure for bathroom breaks? Bucket under the desk?
 
From that recording it does not sound like this is a unique occurrence. Approach mentioned the tower controller got locked out last year.

I also enjoyed that when the tower controller came back on line there was some discussion going on with him about if this was going to cause problems for an aircraft that had landed or was just about to land.
 
gismo said:
Given the paranoia in DC over airplanes, I'm surprised no one assumed the quiet tower was part of some terrorist plot.
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I think that is telling of serious anyone thinks that airliners are going to be used as terrorist weapons again. The whole TSA is nothing but security kabuki theater.
 
Trapper John said:
If there's only one controller on duty, what's the procedure for bathroom breaks? Bucket under the desk?
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As I understood it, after the Lexington crash they're supposed to have two people on duty at all times. So I thought, anyways.

ScottM said:
From that recording it does not sound like this is a unique occurrence. Approach mentioned the tower controller got locked out last year.

I also enjoyed that when the tower controller came back on line there was some discussion going on with him about if this was going to cause problems for an aircraft that had landed or was just about to land.
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Happened to a friend of my a couple weeks ago in CHO. He said he got about a five minute delay vector while Potomac Approach went through the steps to take control of the airspace, then once the area was switched back to E (G?) space, he was cleared for the visual, change to advisory's approved. Doesn't sound all too uncommon.

bbchien said:
OMG. An airplane landed without help. Be still my heart!
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I am shocked and/or appalled.

Someone should take them to State College on a game day (or any of the other 20,000 some-odd non towered fields in the US on any given day).
 
FlyNE said:
Holy sensationalism Batman...

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/03/23/washington.planes.controllers/index.html?hpt=T2
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I thought the WaPo article was actually pretty good - especially explaining that landing without a control tower isn't at all uncommon, but that the real danger might be ground ops. It would be nice, though, if they would stop referring to a landing clearance as 'helping the pilots to land'.

Teller1900 said:
As I understood it, after the Lexington crash they're supposed to have two people on duty at all times. So I thought, anyways.
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Not true here at New Haven, and we have 121 traffic.
 
Teller1900 said:
As I understood it, after the Lexington crash they're supposed to have two people on duty at all times. So I thought, anyways.
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After the Lexington crash approach and tower functions cannot be combined. That's not an issue at DCA, and wasn't an issue in the Lexington crash.

Happened to a friend of my a couple weeks ago in CHO. He said he got about a five minute delay vector while Potomac Approach went through the steps to take control of the airspace, then once the area was switched back to E (G?) space, he was cleared for the visual, change to advisory's approved. Doesn't sound all too uncommon.
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Potomac approach is the facility that serves CHO. CHO has a Class D surface area 1100–0400Z, at other time it's Class E. That's determined solely by time, doesn't matter if the tower's manned, controller asleep, etc.
 
KTLA tv news this morning: "this is scary stuff" and "the planes landed safely, thank goodness".

Maybe that hair bleach also wiped out your brains....
 
wsuffa said:
KTLA tv news this morning: "this is scary stuff" and "the planes landed safely, thank goodness".

Maybe that hair bleach also wiped out your brains....
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Oh, brother...

How long until we see the (coached) interviews with passengers detailing the harrowing ordeal on Inside Edition???
 
Secretary LaHood's solution was, well, predictable -- no more 1-person shifts at DCA. Interesting, however, that the order originated with SecTrans, not the Administrator. Wonder how far-reaching that order will be...
 
Ron Levy said:
Secretary LaHood's solution was, well, predictable -- no more 1-person shifts at DCA. Interesting, however, that the order originated with SecTrans, not the Administrator. Wonder how far-reaching that order will be...
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Sounded like Randy just got *****-slapped
 
All of the media outlets are complete and utter morons. Every one I viewed today used extreme scare tactics to make the situation sound dire. And these are the people we listen to about:

A. Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan
B. Japan
C. The economy


Now you know not to believe ANYTHING.
 
Anthony said:
All of the media outlets are complete and utter morons. Every one I viewed today used extreme scare tactics to make the situation sound dire. And these are the people we listen to about:

A. Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan
B. Japan
C. The economy


Now you know not to believe ANYTHING.
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Cut 'em some slack, Anthony. Their business is going down the drain faster than a #7 on the Bristol chart. :ihih:
 
rpadula said:
Cut 'em some slack, Anthony. Their business is going down the drain faster than a #7 on the Bristol chart. :ihih:
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True dat Rich. It's just insulting when you realize the use pure scare tactics in order to sell more advertising. :rolleyes2:

Basically, they are lieing for $$$.
 
Anthony said:
All of the media outlets are complete and utter morons.
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You mean like this, from the Washington Post article in post #!?

Unable to reach anyone at National, the pilot aborted the approach, circled the airport and radioed the Potomac TRACON controller for help in aligning the plane for landing. A few minutes later, when the United plane approached for landing, the TRACON controller told him that the tower was unmanned.
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Does Tower help them "align for landing?" Thank God for TRACON for their help in aligning these aluminum tubes of death.
 
I like Sixie's solution posted over on the Red Board -- hook up a couple of 110v wires to the radio receiver and plug them into the controller.
 
Ron Levy said:
I like Sixie's solution posted over on the Red Board -- hook up a couple of 110v wires to the radio receiver and plug them into the controller.
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That would bring a whole new meaning to the term Pilot Controlled Lighting! :devil:
 
Did they have an O2 generator in the restroom?
 
First: I'm glad no-one got hurt.

Question 1: Since this technically is a Class-B violation, will the PIC be disciplined? Perhaps if the FAA were onery.
Q2: Does Potomac (or any TRACON) have authority over local Class B airspace penetrations in cases like this?
 
chucky said:
I thought the WaPo article was actually pretty good - especially explaining that landing without a control tower isn't at all uncommon, but that the real danger might be ground ops.
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What danger for ground ops ? If anyone from maintenance wants to penetrate a movement or runway area, they need to get clearnance on ground or tower. Without the clearance, they shouldn't proceed. Around that time of day, US Air reshuffles some of their planes from terminal C to the parking areas near the GA terminal, but that is all ramp traffic that should never enter any of the runways.

But yes, the WaPo article was otherwise pretty factual.
 
Jaybird180 said:
First: I'm glad no-one got hurt.

Question 1: Since this technically is a Class-B violation, will the PIC be disciplined? Perhaps if the FAA were onery.
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There was no violation of Class B airspace.

Q2: Does Potomac (or any TRACON) have authority over local Class B airspace penetrations in cases like this?
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Yes.
 
DCA is class B. Why was there no technical violation???
- I'm really curious of your answer
 
Jaybird180 said:
DCA is class B. Why was there no technical violation???
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Because they were on an IFR flight plan and operating in accordance with the ATC clearance they had been issued. The fact that Tower wasn't there when they called Tower while approaching to land doesn't change the fact that they did have a clearance to DCA. Further, they discussed this with Potomac TRACON and were told to go ahead and land using nontower procedures -- that sounds like an "ATC instruction" to me.
 
Sounds like an interesting nuance (IFR clearance with a visual approach).

We got a call awhile back about a student busting D space while they were talking to Potomac. What's different about that?
 
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