WASHINGTON — The movies are for the passengers — not the controllers.
An air traffic controller has been suspended for watching a movie when he was supposed to be monitoring aircraft, deepening the Federal Aviation Administration’s embarrassment following at least five cases of controllers sleeping on the job.
In the latest incident, the controller was watching a movie on a DVD player early Sunday while on duty at a regional radar center near Cleveland that handles high-altitude air traffic.
The controller’s microphone was inadvertently activated for three minutes and transmitted the audio of the 2007 crime thriller “Cleaner,” starring Samuel L. Jackson to all the planes on the frequency.
Besides the controller, the FAA also suspended a manager at the installation.
FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said yesterday, before his agency disclosed the latest incident, that he was “infuriated” by the scandal.