Audio Tape of Reno Incident

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By NATCA
Posted: 10-17-2008


As NATCA reported last week, an air traffic controller forced to work alone due to extreme understaffing in the radar facility that handles airborne traffic around Reno-Tahoe International Airport was incapacitated while on duty June 23 as he suffered chest pains.

At approximately 5:40 p.m. PDT, the controller called his colleagues in the control tower about his condition and they raced into action to call paramedics and take measures to ensure the safety of the flights that were under the ill employee?s control. Normally, at that time, there are approximately six to 10 aircraft in this airspace.

Normal staffing for this shift in the radar room is three controllers, or two controllers plus one supervisor. But on this day, as has been the case repeatedly since last fall, only one controller was working.

We now have an audio recording of the incident and you can listen to a version here, which has been edited to remove the periods of silence between transmissions:

On the recording, you will hear the controller as he struggles to complete an instruction for a pilot. Then a couple of pilots inquire as to his condition, followed by the tower controllers referencing the incident and taking over control of the airspace.