Controller Did Not Respond To Phone Calls, Pilots During Overnight Shift

Police were called to the control tower at Boise Air Terminal (KBOI) on November 19 after two St. Luke's helicopter pilots were unable to contact the controller on duty at 0230. When they arrived, the official report released late last week indicates they found the controller asleep and another who arrived later smelling of marijuana, though none was found.

The Idaho Statesman newspaper reports that, according to the police report, Boise police Cpl. Mike Algate and officers Byron Grover, Andrew Morlock and Shane Langton arrived at the airport and attempted to contact the controllers through the security call system. When that was not successful, they flashed a spotlight at the tower cab, turned on the flashing lights on their police cars, and used a siren and air horn to try to rouse the controllers. They got no response.

Another person arrived at the airport who identified himself as an air traffic controller, who said he had talked to the controller in the tower 15 minutes earlier by phone, which the police doubted. While airport operations manager Bruce Gard said he was "very concerned" about the lack of response from the tower, the controller, whose name was redacted from the report, "seemed to not be concerned and even stopped at the break/lunch room to grab some pizza and a drink before going with the officers up to the main radio area,” Algate wrote in his report. “The man kept saying it was no problem and everything was OK, and this wasn’t a big deal.”

The officers and Gard said that the controller riding up to the cab in the elevator smelled of marijuana, and officer Morlock indicated seemed "slow and confused as to what was going on."

When they arrived in the cab, the controller on duty, whose name was also redacted, was standing near the center of the room. Officer Langton said in the report that he seemed "very groggy and sluggish." He said he had not heard any radio or phone calls. When questioned, he said he had fallen asleep.

The second controller said he was scheduled to relieve the person on duty at 0300. Only one controller is scheduled during the overnight shift at Boise. Gard said the controller was giving incorrect directions and runway information to pilots during his shift.

A search of the tower did not turn up any evidence of marijuana use.

FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said that both controllers were tested for drug use and "both tests were negative." He said the incident is still under investigation.

FMI: www.faa.gov