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Air carrier X landed without clearance because controller fell asleep.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 240758 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199304 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : pbi |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : pbi |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing other |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2500 |
| ASRS Report | 240758 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 4100 flight time type : 1800 |
| ASRS Report | 240703 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
Air carrier X took off from fll to pbi, climbed to 5000 ft MSL. Bumpy ride. Descended to 3000 ft with clearance from ZMA. Cleared to pbi direct and contact pbi approach. On initial contact, pbi controller (1 man operation at XA00 am) advised to expect visual approach to runway 9L and to call the airport in sight. A few mins later we called to report pbi in sight. No response. Repeated attempts could raise no response. Since by this time we were over the airport I turned outbound to the OM for the ILS on runway 9L intending to complete an approach. We contacted ZMA through fll tower and asked them to call pbi tower on the landline. They got no response. We completed the approach broadcasting our position and intentions in the blind. Landed normally. Investigation by airport police found the controller had apparently fallen asleep. Supplemental information from acn 240703: the next day we were shown the sheriff's report and it stated the controller had answered the door in his socks and stated he had fallen asleep. This controller was working the entire pbi area alone and was the only person in the tower. The FAA needs to reconsider this policy of allowing single person shifts in its facilities. This controller obviously needs personal attention, but this same situation could have happened due to incapacitation from heart attack, or a myriad of other medical causes.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR X LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC BECAUSE CTLR FELL ASLEEP.
Narrative: ACR X TOOK OFF FROM FLL TO PBI, CLBED TO 5000 FT MSL. BUMPY RIDE. DSNDED TO 3000 FT WITH CLRNC FROM ZMA. CLRED TO PBI DIRECT AND CONTACT PBI APCH. ON INITIAL CONTACT, PBI CTLR (1 MAN OP AT XA00 AM) ADVISED TO EXPECT VISUAL APCH TO RWY 9L AND TO CALL THE ARPT IN SIGHT. A FEW MINS LATER WE CALLED TO RPT PBI IN SIGHT. NO RESPONSE. REPEATED ATTEMPTS COULD RAISE NO RESPONSE. SINCE BY THIS TIME WE WERE OVER THE ARPT I TURNED OUTBOUND TO THE OM FOR THE ILS ON RWY 9L INTENDING TO COMPLETE AN APCH. WE CONTACTED ZMA THROUGH FLL TWR AND ASKED THEM TO CALL PBI TWR ON THE LANDLINE. THEY GOT NO RESPONSE. WE COMPLETED THE APCH BROADCASTING OUR POS AND INTENTIONS IN THE BLIND. LANDED NORMALLY. INVESTIGATION BY ARPT POLICE FOUND THE CTLR HAD APPARENTLY FALLEN ASLEEP. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 240703: THE NEXT DAY WE WERE SHOWN THE SHERIFF'S RPT AND IT STATED THE CTLR HAD ANSWERED THE DOOR IN HIS SOCKS AND STATED HE HAD FALLEN ASLEEP. THIS CTLR WAS WORKING THE ENTIRE PBI AREA ALONE AND WAS THE ONLY PERSON IN THE TWR. THE FAA NEEDS TO RECONSIDER THIS POLICY OF ALLOWING SINGLE PERSON SHIFTS IN ITS FACILITIES. THIS CTLR OBVIOUSLY NEEDS PERSONAL ATTN, BUT THIS SAME SIT COULD HAVE HAPPENED DUE TO INCAPACITATION FROM HEART ATTACK, OR A MYRIAD OF OTHER MEDICAL CAUSES.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.