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Air Traffic Controllers Guide Planes Via Cell Phones, Avoid Disaster

by Caleb Johnson on September 3, 2009 at 03:09 PM


A group of air traffic controllers in California had to think on their feet when their communication system failed them. The Associated Press reports that about 40 employees at the Oakland Center in Fremont were forced to use their own cell phones to guide dozens of planes after the telephone and radio communication systems crashed last Wednesday morning. During the 15 minutes that the system was down, controllers called other controllers in the Western region to relay flight information.

Thankfully, the FAA says no planes were in danger as a result of the system crashing, and just five flights were delayed. Already working in a high-pressure environment, these controllers deserve a huge pat on the back for acting swiftly and thinking clearly during this crisis. However, this isn't the first time an air traffic controller had to improvise on the job. Last year, in an equally impressive feat, a controller guided a plane to the ground via text messages. Yes, this really happened. Maybe it's time the FAA started issuing cell phones to all of its controllers. It seems like operating one is a job requirement these days. [From: AP/The Washington Examiner, via Textually]

Tags: air traffic control, airplane, AirTrafficControl, cell phone, CellPhone, faa, flight, top

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