The Buzz: Air traffic controller suspended

Did an air traffic controller go too far when he let his son speak to a pilot from the control tower of a New York airport? The incident is being investigated by government safety experts, who say the child talked with at least five pilots preparing for departure. Here's one exchange:

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Air Traffic Controller
• Suspended
• JFK Airport
• Child
• Job

[haitianballer101]

this stupid dude on the right is getting on my nerves..they all were reading off a damn piece a paper. The kid wasnt calling no damn shots. Half the stuff the kid was saying none of us understood and im sure the kid didnt understand. He was repeating exactly his what his dad was saying. Is it because it was a child? And if they sent any of us up there, child or not, to REPEAT what to flight controller was saying, would we make a huge deal out of this? NOPE and thats guaranteed.

[terryk1233]

I definitely hate all news outlets. So blown out of proportion, just for the ratings..now the whole country (and world) knows about this innocent based on what the MEDIA, I say again MEDIA has to say. Don't even fucking get me started. This kid was simply repeating instructions given to him directly by his father. You can clearly HEAR THIS!!! God damn you all. Now this father has no job, and his son will now be scared for life. Why? Because the news wants ratings.

[AirbusFreak100]

The child said Amex 403 and he replied 423

[angelo1085]

@gobo760 Well Said.

[angelo1085]

It's clear to me that either A.) everyone on here is right about the media blowing things out of proportion. B.) Everyone who said it was "a passenger safety issue" knows virtually nothing about the world of aviation and ATC communication. or option C.) Both A and B.

This really wasn't an issue. As far as the FAA goes, maybe they had a right to investigate. But really there was no threat.

[SuperDougiedoo]

Love the guy on the right, clearly pilots aren't allowed to enjoy their jobs.

[SuperDougiedoo]

Oh please the pilots were amused and the kid was clearly being told what to say. No one at all was in danger.

[jonahair747]

They are WAY to anal about this. At least the dad didn't tell the son to say something different. God, they're stupid for freaking out over this. The Pilot's like this because they are sick of hearing the same old voice. Delta 156 heavy cleared to landing on RWY 24R, follow a 747 that's on final in fornt of you. If a kid said that, I would like that to. Screw everyone that is against this.

[pocomedy]

He never let him do his job. Plus the guy on the left is stupid. Neither was the little kid he was just waving like your god son. Only verbally "contact departure adios" He was certainly not even close to calling the shots dip shit! And lady its called a tower not a cockpit stupid! Also usually it is pilot error that causes accidents or near misses and then they blame it on the controller cause he was supposed to watch them. Three words for you shit heads get over it!!!!

[gobo760]

3:01 Well now we've gotten to the bottom of why these reporters are actually upset... they wanted to get in there and they couldn't but some kid who doesn't even have his own SHOW got to go in there! The nerve!!! Don't these tower people know who we are?!?

By the way, the thing I like the best about this story is that the people who are the most upset by it also know the LEAST about aviation. That should tell you something...