Aviation sources identified the controller as
A preliminary review of incidents on
Initial reports of the boy’s transmissions were broadcast Tuesday night by a
The FAA said it had placed both the air traffic controller and a supervisor at
No one appeared to be home at Duffy’s house Wednesday night.
The FAA did not release the name of the controller or the supervisor. A union official said the two were on paid leave.
FAA Administrator
“”These kind of distractions are totally unacceptable,”” Babbitt said. He ordered a review of air-traffic control policies and procedures related to facility visitors.
The children’s visits to the
Sources said the boy was repeating what an adult air traffic controller had told him to say.
After one exchange, in which the child seems to clear a departure, the pilot responded, “”Over to departure
A male voice from the tower replied with a laugh: “”That’s what you get, guys, when the kids are out of school.””
In another exchange, the child cleared a pilot and said, “”Adios, amigos.””
NATCA, which represents controllers, said in a statement, “”We do not condone this type of behavior in any way. It is not indicative of the highest professional standards that controllers set for themselves and exceed each and every day in the advancement of aviation safety.””
The FAA on Wednesday also suspended all unofficial visits to FAA air-traffic-control operational areas, including control towers and radar rooms, until investigation of the incidents is complete.
An FAA official familiar with the investigation said that it’s not unusual for a member of the public to visit a controller facility with the approval of FAA supervisors. But only a professional air traffic controller or a controller in training can speak to a pilot over air-traffic-control frequencies and direct air traffic, the official said.