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Jet circles Zamboanga airport waiting for missing air traffic controllers

by Scott Carmichael (RSS feed) on Dec 30th 2008 at 12:30PM

Unlike our very own Kent Wien, I never trained to be a pilot, but even without those years of training, I can't imagine it is very comforting to get close to your destination airport and find an unstaffed air traffic control tower.

This is exactly what happened when a jet carrying 156 passengers arrived in the airspace of Zamboanga airport in the Philippines, after a flight from the nation's capital.

Instead of hearing the familiar commands from the tower telling them they were cleared to land, the Philippine Airlines flight crew heard nothing. It took 30 minutes of circling around the airport for someone to finally make their way to the tower and permit the jet to land.

Of the 5 controllers who were supposed to be on duty that morning, 2 were missing, 2 were late and one was on an approved day off, but their approval note did not make it to the airport administrator. Talk about a total breakdown of communications.

The excuse the remaining 4 controllers presented was that public transport was hard to find the day after Christmas, but officials say the controllers may still have been a little too much in "party mode". I'm sure that is comforting to hear if you were in the air around Zamboanga that morning.

The newspaper article claims the controllers were fired, but Philippine officials merely say the 5 are currently suspended pending an investigation.

(Via: Sydney Morning Herald)

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

tese42s Dec 31st 2008 6:58AM

I would of landed anyway.

cam Dec 31st 2008 8:11AM

dude. he could have landed on a runway where another plane was taking off. they didn't know what to do.

Dorothy Dec 31st 2008 10:26AM

You obviously have never flown a jet with over 150 people on it.

cal10pilot Dec 31st 2008 1:42PM

You are exactly right. Look up in the FAR's, part 91.. under pilot in command & emergencies. If he had an alternate airport to go to, he could have elected to do that. If fuel was a concern.... well???? what would you do? Not break what you perceive to be 'law' and die in the crash? If you did, then there wouldn't be much of a fire... would there?

Moongrim Dec 31st 2008 7:43AM

Three Cheers for contracting out Air Traffic Positions!

It'll make things cheaper and provide better quality!

Hey folks that's the mantra American Contractors have been singing for years. And they want America to do EXACTLY what the Phillipines did.

vectormom Dec 31st 2008 8:04AM

Yeah! Let's get the FAA to contract out more towers. It really seems to work everywhere else. I, for one, can't wait to train my replacement. I hope it runs as smoothly as the TSA!!!!

Ron Dec 31st 2008 10:46AM

The FAA has no control over towers or airports in the Phillippines.

Diane Dec 31st 2008 10:51AM

Hey, vectormom - get your head out of your ass ok? If you "can't wait" to train your replacement it must mean you could give a rat's tail about your job to begin with. As for the TSA (since you brought it up anyway) - yet another stupid comment from someone who's OBVIOUSLY never done the job (and yes, I have). It's a thankless, tiring job where someone's either complaining that you're doing your job or complaining that you're not. Good to see the whining is still continuing from people like you on a topic that's completely irrevelant.

People constantly hear about what a 'bad' job the TSA is doing, well what about the job they ARE doing? The guns that discovered EVERY damn year? Oh but no... wouldn't want you to strain your brain on that huh?

cal10pilot Dec 31st 2008 1:49PM

Disregard Diane's comments.... it might be hormonal. TSA does a poor job at best, and the testing facts don't lie. 80+% failure rate, but 100% obstruction of peoples travels.... for what? Will TSA stop the shoulder held rocket launchers? You know they accomplished their task on jet's.... so they won't be back. Travellers must be vigilant, but that game has already left town.

teltech541 Dec 31st 2008 8:13AM

The guy was probably in the John or on the internet trying to scam Americans.

LeeAnn Dec 31st 2008 8:38AM

I do not find this unusual at all. While living in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, my family owned property in Freeport, Bahamas and we would fly down quite often. On more than several occasions that I can remember no one being in the Tower at Freeports Airport. The first time, the local police actually went to the home of one of the controllers and got him out of bed to come and allow the plane to take off. When this became a re-occuring happening, the pilot got to the point where after waiting 30 minutes or so, and with no landing or other departures scheduled, the Pilots would just "wing it" and take off or land. We have heard many stories and incidents of this happening from all over to local regional airports here in the States, but more so in other countries and especially Island type airports. All I can say, is thankfully that the USA has rigid training requirements and ongoing training for pilots. If it were not for these expert Pilots being able to fly soley on instrument and sight, we would probably still be sitting on runways while someone is sleeping! I do realize there are good and bad in every bunch, but for the majority of Pilots in the USA, we have the best in the world. I can't say the same for the attendants, but thankfully they do NOT fly the aircraft.

Herman Dec 31st 2008 8:50AM

I've been passenger in everything from CRJ to 747 and the only problem I've seen with flight attendants is at 3 or 4 a.m. on a 14 to 15 hour flight no staff is circulating thru the cabin to see if anyone not sleeping wants or needs anything.
Qantas from LA to Sydney and Qantas from Auckland, New Zealand to LA over feeds the passengers. Cant say much favorable about their security check-in, tho.

S Dec 31st 2008 8:41AM

Thats why Americans should keep their asses in america!!

Master Shake Dec 31st 2008 8:55AM

Yes, by all means DO stay there. Enjoy your financial meltdown soon to be followed by riots and rampage on the streets. Leave the rest of the world out of your redneck hillbilly feuds. LOL

s.bybee Dec 31st 2008 9:08AM

so you think all americans are rednecks and hillbillys
anyway Americans pull together when America is in trouble
and... OUR MILITARY IS THE BEST !!!!!!!!!!

cal10pilot Dec 31st 2008 2:29PM

The main thing, is to keep the main thing, the main thing... but since you commented on it... let me reply. Americans should stay at home.... we'll figure out our financial problems, but remember this.... when America goes into recession, the rest of the world goes into depression. For those of you who either didn't get a good education, or have short memories, when the chips were down, it was always the Americans who stepped up to the plate. I believe we should again become an isolationist country, and the hell with the rest of you. BASICS... we have food and water...plenty of it....can y'all say the same?

s.bybee Dec 31st 2008 4:30PM

Hey Cal you got that right. Everyone always calls on America for help. Lets pull ALL our troops out of other countries bring them home and see what happens. Also you don't want to mess with Isreal either! DON'T MESS WITH AMERICA AND DON'T MESS WITH ISREAL. The eagle is in flight!!!!

James Dec 31st 2008 8:53AM

IF THE PILOT RAN LOW ON FUEL, YOU BETTER KNOW HE WOULD HAVE LANDED.....AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS OR NOT.

Key Dec 31st 2008 9:00AM

There are procedures for when the tower is unmanned or in case of radio failures. There are thousands of un-towered airports in the world and the procedures are the same at all of them. This should not have been a newsworthy item. I was flying once to a towered airport after a thunderstorm and could not reach the tower for landing clearance. I just followed the procedures for no tower and I (as well as many others) landed safely and with no problems. It turned out that lightning had hit the tower and fried all the radios. Airlines worldwide land at untowered airports using the same procedures. It's just a matter of the pilot in command of the plane using them properly. Again, this should not have been a major headline!!!