Controller And Supervisor Likely To Be Fired

Investigations by NTSB and FAA show that the Teterboro Airport Air Traffic Controller was on the phone with his girlfriend at the time of Saturday's mid-air collision over the Hudson River. Both he and his supervisor, who was unable to be located at the time of the accident, have been suspended. FAA officials say they will likely be fired.

Both people, who have not been identified, seriously deviated from their assignments, according to investigators. While it is not believed that the controllers phone conversation had any bearing on the accident, FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said the controllers actions were "unacceptable", according to the New York Daily News.

Audio recordings from the tower revealed the phone conversation. "In conjunction with the FAA's participation with the NTSB's inquiry into the recent Hudson River accident, we learned that the controller handling the Piper flight was involved in apparently inappropriate conversations on the telephone at the time of the accident," FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said. "We also learned that the supervisor was not present in the  building as required. We respect the NTSB's authority in determining the cause of the accident and will continue to work closely with NTSB investigators," Babbitt added.

The preliminary investigation also indicates the controller gave the pilot of the fixed-wing aircraft the proper frequency for contacting Newark International Airport, and followed the correct hand-off procedure. The pilot never contacted Newark.

ANN Realtime Update August 14 0820: NATCA released the following statement in response to the Federal Aviation Administration's announcement regarding investigations into the Aug. 8 Hudson River mid-air collision.

"We support that any such allegation is fully investigated before there is a rush to judgment about the behavior of any controller."
 

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.ntsb.gov, www.natca.org