JFK air traffic controller let son, daughter direct planes

(FOX 25, myfoxboston.com) - A JFK Airport air traffic controller has now been placed on leave after allowing his young son to give instructions to pilots, and now it has been revealed that the controller did it more than once.

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 his 8-year-old daughter the next evening.

FOX25 was able to obtain the audio from both nights.

The controller’s son made 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.

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

The second night, the controller’s daughter took the mic.

JFK TOWER: JetBlue 57 contact New York departure

PILOT: JetBlue 57, thank you, good day.

JFK TOWER: You bet, just the next generation of air traffic control going here.
 

The children gave instructions to one JetBlue flight departing to Sacramento, another going to Palm Beach, and an Air Mexico flight heading to Mexico City

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

The Federal Aviation Administration has suspended the employee and his supervisor.

"This lapse in judgment not only violated FAA's own policies, but common sense standards for professional conduct. These kinds of distractions are totally unacceptable," the FAA said in a statement.

What the FAA calls unacceptable, others who are defending the controller call harmless, saying the kids were only repeating what their dad told them to say

All unofficial visits to control towers across the country have been suspended because of this, and the FAA administrator has directed a team to conduct a full scale review.