Around midnight Thursday morning an air traffic controller fell asleep while two flights approached Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The pilots of American Airlines flight 1012 and United Airlines flight 628 attempted to contact the tower for landing approval but got no response. The two flights with a total of 160 passengers and crew members between the two were instructed to land under the unattended tower protocol. Both of the planes landed safely with no harm to any passengers. Things could have ended badly with injuries requiring accident attorneys. It was discovered that the employee on duty fell asleep while on duty between 12:00am and 12:30am. The air traffic controller was suspended and now the tower is attended by two employees. There are at least 30 airports nationwide that only have one controller on duty during off peak hours.
Fatigue is a fairly common cause of accidents especially on the roads or on the job. Though unintentional, the tired person can make mistakes or fall asleep at the wheel and seriously injure innocent people. Having a personal injury can be very costly for the victims who must utilize the expertise of an accident lawyer to gain compensation for their pain.
Suffering at the hands of a negligent person is very frustrating which is compounded by the physical and emotional pain. The medical costs and missed work is a financial burden for most but retaining an accident attorney to represent the victim can relive that burden.
