ANOTHER Air Traffic Controller Caught Sleeping

For the third time in less than two months an air traffic controller was caught sleeping on the job, this time at Reno-Tahoe International Airport. A plane carrying a critically ill patient was unable to reach the Reno tower during it's approach, but the pilot was in communication with the Northern California Terminal Radar Approach Control and was able to land safely without assistance from the tower.

The controller is believed to have nodded off and was out of communication for about 16 minutes. In response to the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Transportation announced that an additional air traffic controller will be immediately added on the midnight shift at 27 control towers that currently have only one person working overnights.

In February, a controller in Knoxville, Tenn., deliberately went to sleep on the job during a midnight shift. Last month a controller at Washington, D.C.'s Reagan National Airport fell asleep while two commercial airliners were forced to land on their own. The FAA says there have been additional incidents.

"I am totally outraged by these incidents. This is absolutely unacceptable," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "The American public trusts us to run a safe system. Safety is our number one priority and I am committed to working 24/7 until these problems are corrected."

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