Child Directed Traffic at JFK

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　今朝ニュースでやっていた、驚くべきニュース。お父さんの職場に子供を連れて行くことはよくあることだけど、今回の話は、管制官で働くパパが、子供を管制塔に連れて行って、さらに管制官の業務をさせちゃったっていう話。管制官でのやり取りは全部録音されているので、それがテレビのニュースでも流れていたのですが、USAirways,メキシコ航空など、何機もの飛行機の離着陸を支持している様子は、落ち着いたものでした。メキシコ航空とのやり取りでは、”アディオス！”なんて言っちゃってなかなかはまっていたのですが、問題は親が子供に管制塔の権限を与えちゃったこと。幸い事故は無かったものの、94年にはロシアの航空機のパイロットが子供をパイロット室に連れて行って操縦桿を握らせたら墜落しちゃった事件もあったそうです。75人亡くなったんだとか(Aeroflot Flight 593)。

Child Directed Traffic at JFK Airport; FAA Probes
An investigation is underway after a child was heard giving instructions to a pilot from the air-traffic control tower at one of America's busiest airports.

In a recording that has been confirmed as genuine by the Federal Aviation Administration, the child makes five transmissions from John F Kennedy International Airport ― with the pilots in each case all responding enthusiastically to him.

One conversation between the tower at JFK Airport in New York and a pilot goes as follows:

JFK TOWER: Jet Blue 171 contact departure.

PILOT: Over to departure jet blue 171, awesome job.

The child appears to be supervised, with a controller explaining the reason for the young voice to the pilot.

JFK TOWER: That's what you get guys when the kids are out of school. (laugh)

The airport is the sixth busiest in the country with thousands of planes taking off and landing every day.

The control tower is a highly secure area and the FAA says only licensed controllers are supposed to communicate with planes.

"I have never ever heard a small kid in the tower giving instructions for an airplane to take off or cross a runway or any kind of instructions," Jim Baker, a retired chief pilot at Delta airlines, told MyFoxBoston.

"Pending the outcome of our investigation, the employees involved in this incident are not controlling air traffic, the FAA said in a statement. "This behavior is not acceptable and does not demonstrate the kind of professionalism expected from all FAA employees."

The union that represents air traffic controllers said: "We do not condone this type of behavior in any way, and it is not indicative of the highest professional standards that controllers set for themselves and exceed each and every day in the advancement of aviation safety."