Diapers Would Have Come In Handy For This Guy

[sirpoopsalot]

Here is why more people should wear diapers on the job:

Manchester-Boston Regional Airport

This is an aerial view of Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in New Hampshire, where an air traffic controller's bathroom break briefly delayed three flights last week.

Two Southwest Airlines flights circled Manchester-Boston Regional Airport for 18 minutes around 8 p.m. Friday. The takeoff of a medical flight delivering lungs to New Jersey was delayed by about 10 minutes because of the break.

According to a Federal Aviation Administration logbook, the reason listed was "bathroom break."

A ground controller was in the tower at the time, but was not certified to help planes take off and land.

"I'm not going to go into specifics," Regan Mack, the air traffic controller who took the break, said Wednesday. "I had to go." He said he left the tower for 12 minutes.

Mack said it was the most difficult decision he had to make in his 16 years as an FAA controller. He had handled 60 flights safely in a three-hour stretch, and he had to take a break.

"I would do nothing in my power to ever endanger the safety of the flying public," Mack told WMUR-TV. "That is my sacred responsibility in doing this job."

[AutieAB]

Hehe I suspect we're probably not talking about nipping out to drain the lizard here, though. 12 minutes to do the deed? I think not. 12 minutes clean-up time more likely . Might not have been too pleasant in that control room if he stayed

There must be something not being fully reported by the media though, i.e. that perhaps they were operating with too few staff? I find it impossible to believe that at a busy airport, there shouldn't have been another fully-competent controller on duty specifically to cover pee breaks, meals, rest time, etc...

[rusty pins]

Air Traffic Controler is supposed to be the worlds most stressful job, mentaly, that is. As a pilot myself, I would rather an ATC take a bathroom break for 12 minutes than not be able to give full concentration to his job and land 2 planes on the same runway at the same time! Busy airports usually have more than one qualified ATC on duty at a time. If only one ATC is on duty then either the airport is small and dosn't get many flights, it's night time and there aren't many night flights coming in, or what may be the most likely in this case, someone in charge at the airport was trying to save money by scaling back. Kinda makes you hesitate about flying commercially!

[Diaper Mike 05]

My first thought was why don't they have a bathroom closer so he doesn't need to take 12 minutes? I'm sure it's a nice mental break, but make it more accessable to go if you have to.

Like I said, that was just my first thought.

[diapercj]

A little off subject, but a good description of air traffic controllers is portrayed in the movie "Pushing Tin" with Billy Bob Thorton and someone else.

[Guest]

Make diapers part of the uniform. There, problem solved

[lildiaperboy]

Make diapers part of the uniform. There, problem solved

Sounds like a good plan... Just gotta make sure its a nice very absorbent comfy one

[babykeiff]

I thought that under FAA laws, that there always should be 2 qualified ATCs on duty. Since it is such a stressful and memory intensive position, if the only one ATC took a heart attack, who would control the airspace?

As AuntyAB already said, perhaps the location were operating with too few staff.