Monroe Chat

.........When Air Traffic Controllers Lose Contact with Pilots

I believe this is a most prudent and long over due decision. I appreciate this is relevant to the recent issue with NW airlines, however, had this been in place on 911 the frantic aftermath might have been reduced. I am not suggesting that the planes would not still have crashed, but the scramble to locate and ground multiple planes could have been facilitated with greater ease.

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Fox News Reports:

WASHINGTON — Federal Aviation Administration officials say they are strengthening procedures for alerting the military when air traffic controllers lose contact with planes.

The move comes as a result of the Northwest Airlines plane that overshot Minneapolis last month.

FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt told reporters Friday that air traffic control managers waited 69 minutes after the last contact with Northwest Flight 188 before alerting the military of the problem. He said the guidance to controllers since the 9/11 terrorist attacks has been to alert the military after 10 minutes.

Babbitt said the plane was without any radio contact for a total of 77 minutes. He said he wasn't notified until after contact was re-established.