Emergency Prompts Air Traffic Controller Training

Wednesday, February 21st 2007, 1:40 pm

By: News On 6

DALLAS (AP) _ Air traffic controllers at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport have been retrained after a pilot was denied a runway request after declaring a low-fuel emergency.

The emergency was reported on an August 31st American Airlines flight from Tulsa to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The captain declared the emergency and asked to land against the flow of traffic. But a controller supervisor said that type of landing would delay other flights. Another controller suggests the pilot land on a different, shorter runway or possibly go to Dallas Love Field.

The pilot accepted landing with the air traffic and the flight got on the ground safely.

The Federal Aviation Administration has retrained all air traffic controllers at DFW to clarify the controllers' understanding and handling of such incidents.