ATCO relocated after abandoning control tower during CAL flight landing

Nov 06, 2014 News

… colleagues let off with warning

The Air Traffic Control Officer (ATCO) who walked away from his post at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) control tower during the landing of a Caribbean Airlines (CAL) flight, has been removed and placed in another section within the aviation system.
Two others who were questioned in the wake of the incident last March were let off with a warning. The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) was investigating the circumstances surrounding one of its ATCOs abandoning his post at the tower while a Caribbean Airlines (CAL) aircraft was preparing to land.
Reports were that the ATCO was not feeling well and he was not relieved when he was supposed to.
The information was that, after informing his supervisor that he could not work through the night, the ATCO reportedly left the facility since his request to leave was not being addressed.
The ATCO who was supposed to take over the next shift, also reported being sick and the fact that he had sent a text message to his supervisor to state that he would be absent, was also questioned.
Director General of GCAA, Zulphicar Mohamed, told Kaieteur News yesterday that the matter has been resolved and action has been taken against the three ATCOs responsible. He told the publication that the men were off the job for some time during the investigations but were subsequently returned on administrative duties.
However, following the investigation by the GCAA’s management committee, relevant action was taken. Chairman of the GCAA, Hugh Denbow, explained to Kaieteur News yesterday that the management committee presented its report to the GCAA Board of Directors and recommendations were made.
The Chairman said that while two of the ATCOs got off with a warning and the other relocated, he believed that harsher punishment should have been meted out.
Of the three ATCOs one was supervising the shift when the controller walked out of the tower. Mohamed had told Kaieteur News at the time of the investigation, that fortunately nothing unusual manifested when the ATCO decided to abandon his post. It was understood that the ATCO was in contact with his seniors and his departure was made known. Another staffer was immediately able to take over, he had stated.
A senior official from the CJIA had told Kaieteur News that no report was made to the airport authority about the incident since flights were not disrupted, and there were no delays or postponed flights. The CAL flight that was approaching was reported as having to circle the airport before coming in for landing a few minutes later.
Kaieteur News was told that the ATCOs will undergo light training in order to refresh their capabilities.
Public Works Minister, Robeson Benn, stated last week that the issue involving the ATCOs should be taken seriously, since the aviation Authority has invested heavily in traffic controllers. “We don’t want to have any situation where the lives of people in an aircraft would be put at risk by any issue in the tower.”

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ATCO relocated after abandoning control tower during CAL flight landing

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