Children direct airplanes over radio transmissions at JFK airport

(FOX 25, myfoxboston.com) - The voice is unmistakably a child's giving the all-clear to a pilot from the air-traffic control tower at one of the nation's busiest airports.

Harmless? Or a problem? I think this is one of those stories where people can form their own opinion.

The FAA is certainly taking the matter seriously.

They have confirmed for FOX 25 that the recording we have with a child directing airplanes is an authentic recording from the JFK tower and an investigation is now underway.

The Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday two children were able to instruct pilots over two days in mid-February during school vacation week.

The first night, the controller brought his young son to work and let him squawk a few routine messages over the radio to pilots waiting to take off.

The FAA says the controller brought a different child the next evening.

On a tape obtained by FOX 25, a child makes five transmissions and the pilots respond enthusiastically to him.

JFK TOWER: Jet Blue 171 contact departure

PILOT: Over to departure jet blue 171, awesome job.

The child appears to be supervised as a controller explains the reason for the young voice.

JFK TOWER: That's what you get guys when the kids are out of school. (laugh)

As stressful as it can be for an air traffic controller a little bit of levity can go along way.

But Jim Baker,a retired chief pilot at Delta airlines with forty years of experience, says lives hang on every transmission and this raises safety concerns.

“I have never ever heard a small kid in the tower giving instructions for an airplane to take off or cross a runway or any kind of instructions” says Baker.

JFK is the 6th busiest airport in the country with thousands of planes taking off and landing every day.

“I am sure the controller is a tremendous controller not a wise move, not a wise move...not in this day and age,” Baker said.

The control tower is a highly secure area and the FAA says only licensed controllers are supposed to communicate with planes.

"This type of destruction has in the past and certainly will in the future lead to the loss of lives," said aviation lawyer Doug Latto.

In a statement released to FOX 25 the FAA says:

" Pending the outcome of our investigation, the employees involved in this incident are not controlling air traffic. This behavior is not acceptable and does not demonstrate the kind of professionalism expected from all FAA employees."

The union that represents air traffic controllers released this statement to us this evening.

" We do not condone this type of behavior in any way, and 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”.

No word on how long the FAA investigation is expected to take.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK BELOW. Was this harmless or a problem?