The decisive incident happened early on Wednesday in the Reno-Tahoe International Airport in the western state of Nevada. The only air traffic controller on duty went to sleep while a medical plane carrying a sick person trying to land. The pilot attempted to contact seven times with the tower but no one answered.
At the end landed with the help of a controller for a radar center in neighboring California. Noer the first case of sleeping drivers. In 2011, there have been five. The most notorious example occurred in March at the Ronald Reagan Washington Airport. The driver fell asleep while on duty two planes with a total of 165 passengers and crew tried to land.
There were no mishaps and aircraft landed without problems, but the debate about air safety in the United States was already open. On Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) forced to put two drivers during the night shift in 27 airports across the country where until now only had one.
And yesterday resigned Henry Krakowski, the senior official responsible for air traffic organization. "In recent weeks we have seen examples of unprofessional conduct by individuals which, rightly, has led citizens traveling to question our ability to ensure security," said in a statement Randolph Babbitt, president of the FAA .
Babbitt pledged to end as soon as possible with the malpractice of drivers. The debate is political. In 1981, the dismissal by the Reagan Administration air traffic controllers on strike convulsed labor relations in this country. Now if the dispute affects the drivers in Washington on budget priorities in times of austerity.
Nevada, where the incident took place Wednesday, is the state of Senator Harry Reid, Democratic majority leader in the Senate. Reid, in remarks carried by CNN, said he was a "miracle" that the controller failure had not caused damage, and recalled that no matter how advanced it is a technology only works if the control human beings.
"If these people are sleeping while you work, endangering the lives of millions of Americans who every day take off and land in our airports," he said. At all times, some 7,000 aircraft flying over U.S. airspace, according to the FAA. Another lawmaker in Nevada, Republican Congressman John Mica, chairman of the transportation and infrastructure committee of the House of Representatives, criticized the decision to put two controllers in the towers, according to CNN.
"Only the federal government would dream of doubling the number of workers who earn an average $ 161,000 annually in salary and benefits and not do their job," said Mica. 
At the end landed with the help of a controller for a radar center in neighboring California. Noer the first case of sleeping drivers. In 2011, there have been five. The most notorious example occurred in March at the Ronald Reagan Washington Airport. The driver fell asleep while on duty two planes with a total of 165 passengers and crew tried to land.
There were no mishaps and aircraft landed without problems, but the debate about air safety in the United States was already open. On Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) forced to put two drivers during the night shift in 27 airports across the country where until now only had one.
And yesterday resigned Henry Krakowski, the senior official responsible for air traffic organization. "In recent weeks we have seen examples of unprofessional conduct by individuals which, rightly, has led citizens traveling to question our ability to ensure security," said in a statement Randolph Babbitt, president of the FAA .
Babbitt pledged to end as soon as possible with the malpractice of drivers. The debate is political. In 1981, the dismissal by the Reagan Administration air traffic controllers on strike convulsed labor relations in this country. Now if the dispute affects the drivers in Washington on budget priorities in times of austerity.
Nevada, where the incident took place Wednesday, is the state of Senator Harry Reid, Democratic majority leader in the Senate. Reid, in remarks carried by CNN, said he was a "miracle" that the controller failure had not caused damage, and recalled that no matter how advanced it is a technology only works if the control human beings.
"If these people are sleeping while you work, endangering the lives of millions of Americans who every day take off and land in our airports," he said. At all times, some 7,000 aircraft flying over U.S. airspace, according to the FAA. Another lawmaker in Nevada, Republican Congressman John Mica, chairman of the transportation and infrastructure committee of the House of Representatives, criticized the decision to put two controllers in the towers, according to CNN.
"Only the federal government would dream of doubling the number of workers who earn an average $ 161,000 annually in salary and benefits and not do their job," said Mica.
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