A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/977826
PUBLIC AFFAIR S DEPARTMENT BY THE NUMBERS 15,614 The number of NATCA members, as of April 28, 2018. 19,885 The number of total bargaining unit employees represented by NATCA, as of April 28, 2018. NOTABLE QUOTABLE "The men and women in airport control towers and regional radar rooms don't always spring to mind when we're talking about dicey aviation incidents, but they should. They're the ones who have to re - choreograph an intricate, high - speed, three - dimensional ballet without pausing to hold a meeting or draw diagrams or fetch coffee. "There have been air traffic controllers as long as there has been air traffic, beginning with spotters on the ground who lit bonfires to guide barnstorming pilots to rural runways. "Their job is to ke ep what is sometimes criticized as an outdated, overburdened system moving as efficiently as possible. In an emergency, a cool head is paramount." -- Jacquielynn Floyd, columnist for The Dallas Morning News. Floyd wrote on April 20 about air traffic controllers in the wake of the emergency landing in Philadelphia of Southwest Airlines Flight 1380. Floyd interviewed NATCA Philadelphia FacRep Patrick Ream for the ar ticle. Read it here . MORE ON SOUTHWEST 1380 We produced this statement, read to delegates and members on the morning of April 18 from the 17th Biennial Convention in Philadelphia. We also pos ted it on our natca.org website: Yesterday morning, Southwest Flight 1380 took off from New York LaGuardia, bound for Dallas Love Field. A short time into the flight, there was a failure of the left engine. The resulting incident caused a window above and behind the wing to blow out and started an in - flight emergency situation. This flight landed safely at Philadelphia International Airport thanks to the incredible efforts of the aviation saf ety professionals both in the air and on the ground. NATCA's Critical Incident Stress Management Team members already have reached out to the controllers involved to offer emotional support after this incredibly stressful and sad event. Tragically, one o f the passengers died. Her name was Jennifer Riordan from Albuquerque, and she was a mother of two. It was the first fatality as a result of an incident on a U.S. flight since 2009. We are deeply saddened by the loss of this passenger's life. NATCA extends our deepest sympathies to her family and our thoughts remain with them and with each of the passengers who were injured.