Misc Child's Play at JFK Has Adults Fuming Mad - Page 2

**Donger** · 03-03-2010, 04:46 PM

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local...-86174177.html

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating why a child was allowed to direct air traffic at John F. Kennedy airport, one of the busiest airports in the country.

The FAA says a controller brought the child to work on February 17th and allowed him to talk to pilots.

"Pending the outcome of our investigation, the employees involved in this incident are not controlling air traffic," the FAA said in a statement. "This behavior is not acceptable and does not demonstrate the kind of professionalism expected from all FAA employees." The agency declined to comment beyond the statement.

Recordings from mid-February — during a weeklong winter break for many New York schoolchildren — were posted last month on a Web site for air traffic control-listening aficionados.

Updated 12:26 PM EST, Wed, Mar 3, 2010

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The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating why a child was allowed to direct air traffic at John F. Kennedy airport, one of the busiest airports in the country.

The FAA says a controller brought the child to work on February 17th and allowed him to talk to pilots.

"Pending the outcome of our investigation, the employees involved in this incident are not controlling air traffic," the FAA said in a statement. "This behavior is not acceptable and does not demonstrate the kind of professionalism expected from all FAA employees." The agency declined to comment beyond the statement.

Recordings from mid-February — during a weeklong winter break for many New York schoolchildren — were posted last month on a Web site for air traffic control-listening aficionados.

In audio recordings captured by www.liveatc.net, the young kid could be heard clearing planes for take off and landing. At one point the child even has fun with an Air Mexico flight, saying, "Adios." (listen to the entire exchange above or here)

The adult controller accompanying the child, and the controller's supervisor have both been suspended while authorities investigate. Neither employee has been identified and the child's age has not been revealed.

Below is a transcript of an excerpt of the audio recordings as the child talks to different pilots:

Child: "171 cleared for take off."

Pilot: "Clear for take off JetBlue 171"

Child: "Let's see your Air Mexico 403 Kennedy, runway through left position and hold."

Pilot: "Going to hold Air Mexico 403."

Unknown: "This is what you get guys when the kids are out of school."

Unknown: "Wish I could bring my kid to work."

Child: "JetBlue 171 contact departure."

Unknown: "Over to departure JetBlue 171, awesome job."

Child: "03 clear for take off."

Early this morning, Dough Church with the Air Traffic Controllers' National Union released a statement saying, "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."

BIG_DADDY · 03-03-2010, 05:28 PM

A lot about nothing

**Rain Man** · 03-03-2010, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SportsRacer

Probably not a bright idea, but the pilots seemed okay with it, so who gives a ****? I don't really see what the worst-case scenario for this is.

Yeah, I don't see what could possibly go wrong.

Pablo · 03-03-2010, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Yeah, I don't see what could possibly go wrong.

Those folks would probably be comforted knowing their last dying breaths were drawn so a future air-traffic controller could learn his craft at the tender age of 6.

**Rain Man** · 03-03-2010, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaliforniaChief

When a kid says something that the transcript denotes as unintelligible, I see problems. Look, if he was helping his dad run the Garden City International Airport or calling out commands at Fargo Field, that would be one thing. This is JFK, where things move a mile a minute, pilots speak with a variety of difficult to discern accents, and a chain of movement that cannot allow for confusion. I don't care if it's ground control...bad things can happen there too.

I've always wondered about the language issue with pilots. If you're a pilot flying from Los Angeles to Tokyo, do you have to speak both English and Japanese? That seems unlikely. Do all control towers use English? That also seems unlikely. Do international planes have some sort of auto-translator or a human translator? Those also seem unlikely.

As for the kid, I'm sure they were watching him like a hawk, but as noted above, this is JFK Airport in New York. If the kid messes up a word or decides to have fun and improvise, things could get really, really bad really, really fast.

Thig Lyfe · 03-03-2010, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Yeah, I don't see what could possibly go wrong.

You really think letting the kid say "prepare for takeoff" a coupe of times is going to end up with that? Give me a ****ing break.

He wasn't actually controlling anything. He was being fed extremely basic lines and simply said them. Anything more complicated than that was still handled by the dad.

He shouldn't have done it for the sake of keeping his job, but I struggle to see anything legitimately wrong or dangerous about this.

**Donger** · 03-03-2010, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I've always wondered about the language issue with pilots. If you're a pilot flying from Los Angeles to Tokyo, do you have to speak both English and Japanese? That seems unlikely. Do all control towers use English? That also seems unlikely. Do international planes have some sort of auto-translator or a human translator? Those also seem unlikely.

As for the kid, I'm sure they were watching him like a hawk, but as noted above, this is JFK Airport in New York. If the kid messes up a word or decides to have fun and improvise, things could get really, really bad really, really fast.

English is the standard and default language worldwide for the airlines.

**Rain Man** · 03-03-2010, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

English is the standard and default language worldwide for the airlines.

I can't imagine the French liking that, but either way, it's great to be an American.

So if you're Iranian and you want to fly for Air Mullah or whatever, or you're Chinese and you want to fly for Air Shenzen, you have to learn to be a pilot AND to speak English?

**Rain Man** · 03-03-2010, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SportsRacer

You really think letting the kid say "prepare for takeoff" a coupe of times is going to end up with that? Give me a ****ing break.

He wasn't actually controlling anything. He was being fed extremely basic lines and simply said them. Anything more complicated than that was still handled by the dad.

He shouldn't have done it for the sake of keeping his job, but I struggle to see anything legitimately wrong or dangerous about this.

Yeah, the odds are low, but I had no idea what the kid was talking about in the second line, and I doubt he did, either: "Let's see your Air Mexico 403 Kennedy, runway through left position and hold." I'd rather them gamble with their own lives than mine, even if the odds are low. No reason to let a kid get on the microphone at one of the most congested air spaces in the world. What if the kid decided to yell, "Terrorists! Land all your planes right now!" Kids do that kind of stuff sometimes.

**Donger** · 03-03-2010, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I can't imagine the French liking that, but either way, it's great to be an American.

So if you're Iranian and you want to fly for Air Mullah or whatever, or you're Chinese and you want to fly for Air Shenzen, you have to learn to be a pilot AND to speak English?

As I understand it, yes. At least with airlines that fly internationally.

Goldmember · 03-03-2010, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockymtnchief

So Timmy, have you ever seen a grown man naked?

Roger, Roger.

Goldmember · 03-03-2010, 06:01 PM

WTF is going on with pilots and controllers??? Pilots that get drunk and fly, or fall asleep and over shoot the airports by hundreds of miles, fights with the crew, flight attendants fighting with each other causing flight cancellations. Don't these people take their jobs seriously anymore with hundreds of lives at stake?

Next thing we'll probably hear about is a kid in a operating room asking the nurse to pass the spatula er scapel.

CaliforniaChief · 03-03-2010, 06:03 PM

A Pan Am 727 flight waiting for start clearance in Munich overheard the following:

Lufthansa (in German): "Ground, what is our start clearance time?"

Ground (in English): "If you want an answer you must speak in English."

Lufthansa (in English): "I am a German, flying a German airplane, in Germany . Why must I speak English?"

Unknown voice from another plane (in a beautiful British accent): "Because you lost the bloody war."

Yes, you must speak English worldwide for air communications.

Goldmember · 03-03-2010, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaliforniaChief

A Pan Am 727 flight waiting for start clearance in Munich overheard the following:

Lufthansa (in German): "Ground, what is our start clearance time?"

Ground (in English): "If you want an answer you must speak in English."

Lufthansa (in English): "I am a German, flying a German airplane, in Germany . Why must I speak English?"

Unknown voice from another plane (in a beautiful British accent): "Because you lost the bloody war."

Yes, you must speak English worldwide for air communications.

Isn't that Pilot Training 101, "You must speak English"?

Goldmember · 03-03-2010, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

Thats funny. Hell I shouldnt be saying this but my dad was a conductor for Amtrak for many years. I used to drive the trains when I was like 6 years old. Fun times. Though keeping a train a a track is MUCH easier than a flight control center.

Good thing he didn't let you text message while you were driving the train.

KCbroncoHATER · 03-03-2010, 07:36 PM

"Let's see your Air Mexico 403 Kennedy, runway through left position and hold."

As long as the aircraft knew what he meant then I am cool with it.

There was no danger folks .... nothing to see here.

03-03-2010, 04:46 PM
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $6849900 VARSITY	Child's Play at JFK Has Adults Fuming Mad http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local...-86174177.html The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating why a child was allowed to direct air traffic at John F. Kennedy airport, one of the busiest airports in the country. The FAA says a controller brought the child to work on February 17th and allowed him to talk to pilots. "Pending the outcome of our investigation, the employees involved in this incident are not controlling air traffic," the FAA said in a statement. "This behavior is not acceptable and does not demonstrate the kind of professionalism expected from all FAA employees." The agency declined to comment beyond the statement. Recordings from mid-February — during a weeklong winter break for many New York schoolchildren — were posted last month on a Web site for air traffic control-listening aficionados. Updated 12:26 PM EST, Wed, Mar 3, 2010 Print Email Share Buzz up! TWITTER FACEBOOK The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating why a child was allowed to direct air traffic at John F. Kennedy airport, one of the busiest airports in the country. The FAA says a controller brought the child to work on February 17th and allowed him to talk to pilots. "Pending the outcome of our investigation, the employees involved in this incident are not controlling air traffic," the FAA said in a statement. "This behavior is not acceptable and does not demonstrate the kind of professionalism expected from all FAA employees." The agency declined to comment beyond the statement. Recordings from mid-February — during a weeklong winter break for many New York schoolchildren — were posted last month on a Web site for air traffic control-listening aficionados. In audio recordings captured by www.liveatc.net, the young kid could be heard clearing planes for take off and landing. At one point the child even has fun with an Air Mexico flight, saying, "Adios." (listen to the entire exchange above or here) The adult controller accompanying the child, and the controller's supervisor have both been suspended while authorities investigate. Neither employee has been identified and the child's age has not been revealed. Below is a transcript of an excerpt of the audio recordings as the child talks to different pilots: Child: "171 cleared for take off." Pilot: "Clear for take off JetBlue 171" Child: "Let's see your Air Mexico 403 Kennedy, runway through left position and hold." Pilot: "Going to hold Air Mexico 403." Unknown: "This is what you get guys when the kids are out of school." Unknown: "Wish I could bring my kid to work." Child: "JetBlue 171 contact departure." Unknown: "Over to departure JetBlue 171, awesome job." Child: "03 clear for take off." Early this morning, Dough Church with the Air Traffic Controllers' National Union released a statement saying, "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."
Posts: 191,037

03-03-2010, 05:28 PM	#16
BIG_DADDY THE RED MENACE Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Texas Casino cash: $2558410	A lot about nothing __________________ The diabolical genius of Marxism-Socialism is that it provides the emotional and intellectual road map for autocrats to persuade millions of people to support their own enslavement to government. ~Mark Levin April 15, 2019
Posts: 32,522

03-03-2010, 06:01 PM	#26
Goldmember You GOTTA get it done! Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Northern California Casino cash: $9856738	WTF is going on with pilots and controllers??? Pilots that get drunk and fly, or fall asleep and over shoot the airports by hundreds of miles, fights with the crew, flight attendants fighting with each other causing flight cancellations. Don't these people take their jobs seriously anymore with hundreds of lives at stake? Next thing we'll probably hear about is a kid in a operating room asking the nurse to pass the spatula er scapel.
Posts: 2,044

03-03-2010, 06:03 PM	#27
CaliforniaChief #RIPAce Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: So Cal Casino cash: $10625899	A Pan Am 727 flight waiting for start clearance in Munich overheard the following: Lufthansa (in German): "Ground, what is our start clearance time?" Ground (in English): "If you want an answer you must speak in English." Lufthansa (in English): "I am a German, flying a German airplane, in Germany . Why must I speak English?" Unknown voice from another plane (in a beautiful British accent): "Because you lost the bloody war." Yes, you must speak English worldwide for air communications.
Posts: 17,453

03-03-2010, 07:36 PM	#30
KCbroncoHATER KCBH Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Lee's Summit, Missiouri Casino cash: $9984900	"Let's see your Air Mexico 403 Kennedy, runway through left position and hold." As long as the aircraft knew what he meant then I am cool with it. There was no danger folks .... nothing to see here.
Posts: 1,326