KLAS Tower Issues

[SugarFoot1]

I have never heard someone sounds like this in any scenario. Drugs, alcohol, stroke or the crying sound around 14 min when she says she is choking a little bit. I have empathy for people getting tired from a tough schedule to an extent. We are highly compensated for working crazy schedules and the responsibilities we take on. The pilots lives are in her hands and they even asked if anyone else was up there multiple times. Then one guy said be careful out there and she responded thank you!

 

[Move78]

Yes i am.

I hope your worst day is never national news like this and that the system has enough staffing redundancy in the future to mitigate similar scenarios before they become THIS, where people are posting wild reddit rumors. in the real world people have problems and things happen. I have empathy for this controller, and knowledge of how fatiguing and low staffed some schedules are. Shame on the pilots who mocked her and otherwise acted like children.

I don't really I understand what you're getting at with any of this. It's tough to take a stand on either side because of the unknowns but it sounds like you're with the controller regardless of cause. Which is absurd. And dangerous. If I'm mistaken I apologize. If this was a legit medical episode I can't imagine blame really being thrown around anywhere and maybe they look at the procedure to protect against controlling truly solo.
But if this controller was incapacitated due to a banned substance she should be in fucking jail, you're nuts bud.

 

[Electricfence]

If this isn’t a medical issue like a stroke and is drugsor alcohol, Maybe this event will wake people up to treat mental illness and addiction with respect. See something say something should also apply to our coworkers. Instead it was probably rumors and snickering in the corner. “ well I hope I’m not up there with her when something goes wrong”

 

[wb748]

Arguing with her or against her? Really?

The rumors and FAA and NATCA statements lead me to believe this was a Drugs/Alcohol incident. This country has a huge addiction problem and just locking people up and demonizing addicts does no good. As someone said, addiction is a mental health issue and needs to be treated respectfully as such.

So I’m “with her” as far as she deserves the help she truly needs. But I’m “against her” in that she should not be employed by the FAA. Having an addiction problem does not absolve you from personal responsibility of actually showing up to work and taking a position in an influenced state.

 

[Jordan]

If this was truly a FIRST shift back since rehab, (trying to debunk any conspiracy theories here) wouldn't she likely not be current on control positions and need an over the shoulder? And with someone likely on a last-chance letter, one would hope (not expect) that mgt would pay a little extra attention to that scenario. Hoping the best for her personally...

 

[Dolan]

I think this is going to be remembered for a long, long time.

 

[Rwilsonatc]

It was NOT her first shift back from rehab! Dont believe everything you hear.

 

[NavyTrev]

Speaking of drugs, when’s the last time anyone had a random urine analysis?
One in six years for me.

 

[RTaylor]

Do you think professional pilots should be accepting clearances from a clearly "incapacitated" controller? Even while calling her out and mocking her in the process? the mid shift has the propensity to be "nuts" at any time. Having more than 1 person in -or readily available- the operation would be a good thing not a bad thing. I'm w Her!

"Every revolutionary idea seems to evoke three stages of reaction. They may be summed up by the phrases: 1- It's completely impossible. 2- It's possible, but it's not worth doing. 3- I said it was a good idea all along."

If your not an airline Captain or have considerable jet experience your in no position to judge this from their perspective. It was thanks to the pilots who brought this to everyone’s attention by calling their respective operations and Flight Ops Duty Managers to report a “medical” issue was occurring in the facility. The tone you perceive as mocking is attention getting attempts by flight crews to see if someone else was hearing this and could step in. It’s a dangerous feeling to taxi across a dark runway at night in a sea of lights not really knowing if another jet is bearing down on you.

 

[randoturbo33]

It’s a dangerous feeling to taxi across a dark runway at night in a sea of lights not really knowing if another jet is bearing down on you.

The main criticism that I've seen is WHY they chose to taxi across an active runway while KNOWING that the controller was incapacitated. Take the United pilot who, after finally getting a somewhat coherent clearance to cross the runway, then asked any other traffic in the area to advise. Obviously that captain knows something's wrong, so why would he still follow her clearance? The correct course of action there would have been to shut down and not move or cross an active runway until the problem resolves itself, and eventually most of the other pilots did do so. Having said that, I understand the human factors at play, and realistically crossing a runway under those conditions is relatively low-risk, but you can't deny that he chose get-there-itis over safety in that moment.

 

[DankVectorz]

The main criticism that I've seen is WHY they chose to taxi across an active runway while KNOWING that the controller was incapacitated. Take the United pilot who, after finally getting a somewhat coherent clearance to cross the runway, then asked any other traffic in the area to advise. Obviously that captain knows something's wrong, so why would he still follow her clearance? The correct course of action there would have been to shut down and not move or cross an active runway until the problem resolves itself, and eventually most of the other pilots did do so. Having said that, I understand the human factors at play, and realistically crossing a runway under those conditions is relatively low-risk, but you can't deny that he chose get-there-itis over safety in that moment.

A bunch did just that. She cleared one guy for takeoff and he said ok but he just sat at the hold short line and didn’t move.

“We have thoroughly reviewed the incident and confirmed that no safety events or losses of required separation between aircraft occurred, and there were no conflicts between aircraft on the airfield,” the federal agency said. “However, the FAA is very concerned about this incident and what occurred is not acceptable.” (emphasis mine)



Pilots sensed McCarran air traffic controller was incoherent; FAA investigating

 

[32andBelow]

I couldn’t sell. Did she ever clear that Alaska flight to land? He calls up like 5 times. Then calls up for taxi

 

[Shikaka]

I couldn’t sell. Did she ever clear that Alaska flight to land? He calls up like 5 times. Then calls up for taxi

Some say he's still on short final...

 

[Dontbotherme]

Article 33?

Doesn’t state 2.5 hours. Management is trying to require us to work 2 hours on position followed by 2 hours CIC then leave the operation for a

Speaking of drugs, when’s the last time anyone had a random urine analysis?
One in six years for me.

I have had three in two years.

 

[DankVectorz]

Speaking of drugs, when’s the last time anyone had a random urine analysis?
One in six years for me.

I think I’ve had at least 3 every year I’ve been in the faa.

 

[GulfBravoPapa]

Speaking of drugs, when’s the last time anyone had a random urine analysis?
One in six years for me.

Multiple times a year for me. Never seen the breathalyzer though.

 

[GulfCharlie]

Multiple times a year for me. Never seen the breathalyzer though.

The Drug Tester told me to blow and I died laughing... He did not find it funny... My Drug Rep laughed XD

 

[JWwilks]

Some people cant handle Vegas

 

[DankVectorz]

Multiple times a year for me. Never seen the breathalyzer though.

My favorite thing to do just before I walk out the room with the cup:

“This is just a drug test right? No breathalyzer?.”
“Correct.”
“Oh thank god”

 

[vectorwagon]

For whatever it's worth, that clip only shows from when she started struggling, but she sounded totally lucid and in-control during the previous hour. Certainly seems to rule out her having been drunk/high when she showed up to work.

http://archive-server.liveatc.net/klas/KLAS4-Twr-Both-Nov-08-2018-0630Z.mp3

You know much I didn’t feel like listening to an hour of LiveATC voluntarily during my off time lol ... but I listened and in my —opinion— there’s a slow decline you can hear. Like slow enough she was able to fight through it if questioned on a transmission but as time went on like we all heard it was a race to the bottom. This whole situation is mind boggling. Who does that?