The FAA has amended late night staffing requirements in air traffic control following a ‘concerning’ incident involving a controller working alone in the tower at Las Vegas.
An ‘incapacitated’ air traffic controller caused confusion for pilots in the air and on the ground waiting to take off, exhibiting slurred and incoherent speech.
She also reportedly lost consciousness for a time.
Some pilots opted to stay in a holding pattern due to concerns about landing.
No safety incidents were reported the FAA said, but acknowledged it was a serious incident that will be fully investigated.
The unnamed controller is now on administration leave pending the investigation.
Five aircraft stayed airborne during the 40-minute incident, and aircraft taxiing on the ground held their positions or communicated cockpit-to-cockpit between themselves to ensure safe movement, the FAA said.
New FAA rules now forbid any single staffing in the air traffic control tower before midnight.
"The FAA now requires two controllers to be in the tower cab working traffic until a certain time based on shift periods and traffic levels. Facilities will not combine to one position prior to midnight or 90 minutes after the start of the shift, whichever is later," FAA spokesman Ian Gregor.
