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Air Traffic Controller was Speaking To Fiancee During Deadly Hudson River Collision

Aug. 14, 2009

Rob Kuznia--HispanicBusiness.com

Two air traffic controllers were suspended Thursday after it was discovered they were neglecting their duties when a helicopter collided with a plane over the Hudson River in New York last weekend, killing all nine aboard. Meanwhile, disturbing footage of the Aug. 8 crash, captured by an Italian tourist, was released Thursday by NBC. At the time of the crash, the air-traffic controller at Teterboro Airport who handled the flight was speaking on the phone to his fiancee; the other, his supervisor, was out of the office when he should have been there, according to the Associated Press. However, the Federal Aviation Administration released a statement saying it did not believe the controllers' actions contributed to the accident, but nonetheless said "this kind of conduct is unacceptable." The FAA said it has begun disciplinary proceedings. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association also released a statement: "We support that any such allegation is fully investigated before there is a rush to judgement (sic) about the behavior of (the) controller." According to the New York Daily News, the air-traffic controller was in communication with the plane while speaking with his girlfriend on another line. The controller, the paper reported, gave pilot Steven Altman correct radio frequency for Newark Liberty National Airport, but Newark never made contact. Moments later, the plane with three aboard collided mid-air with a helicopter carrying a pilot and five Italian tourists, killing all nine people. The video shows Altman making a last-second attempt to lift his wing to dodge the helicopter.

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Source: HispanicBusiness.com (c) 2009. All rights reserved


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