Eyes wide open, please, Mr. Air-Traffic Controller

GOOD to know the air traffic controller — or controllers, plural, if that is indeed the case — is wide awake this morning at Reagan National Airport. A lone controller supposedly sleeping while airplanes were trying to land will have that effect.

But with a variety of Western cities clamoring for more flights to Reagan, and with the airport crucial to national security, why was one controller in the airport tower alone just after midnight Wednesday? A snoozing one, at that?

The Federal Aviation Administration appropriately is investigating the case of a lone, dozing controller at Reagan National just after midnight Wednesday. The FAA, appropriately suspended that controller. The unbelievable truth is there was only one person on the midnight shift, while two airliners carrying a total of 165 passengers and crew were trying to land.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood promptly directed the FAA to put two controllers on the midnight shift, but LaHood gets no plaudits. Even though there is less traffic in the wee hours, whose lame idea was it to allow one person on the shift? This will undoubtedly trigger staffing reviews of other airports.

"As a former airline pilot, I am personally outraged that this controller did not meet his responsibility to help land these two airplanes," said Randy Babbitt, FAA administrator, adding that at no point was either plane out of radar contact. A backup system kicked in. Both planes landed safely. Still, this is a dangerous affront and embarrassment to the nation's air traffic control system.

The FAA authorization bill that passed the Senate and awaits approval in the House opened Reagan to additional flights to and from the West, probably including Seattle. And that is a good thing for locals who do business in D.C. Reagan is closer to the city than other airports.

Not to be too ungrateful, but we like our flights to land with the help of at least one reasonably coherent air traffic controller. Two is even better.