[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5839]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         RENO AIRPORT INCIDENT

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, as the country learned today, certainly we 
learned in Nevada, there was a terrifying close call at the Reno 
airport last night. It is a miracle that everyone is OK today, and we 
are grateful they are.
  This is what happened. Only one air traffic controller was in the 
tower during last night's overnight shift. Medical aircraft carrying a 
critically ill passenger couldn't land because the controller fell 
asleep on the job. We now know that the pilot circled several times. We 
now know that he tried to call the tower not once, not twice, but seven 
times. The controller slept through every one of the calls. He slept 
through the circling of the aircraft.
  More than 15 minutes later, with the passenger critically ill in the 
airplane, minutes during which no one could reach the air traffic 
controller while this critically ill passenger suffered in that 
aircraft, the pilot landed without any guidance from the airport.
  The Reno airport is situated right below the great Sierra Nevada 
Mountains. It is an extremely difficult place to land. Those of us who 
have been landing there for all these years know how terribly rough it 
is many times coming out of there with the winds coming off the 
Sierras. To think this pilot was forced to land without any control on 
the land is very scary.
  This should not happen in Nevada. It should not happen anywhere in 
the country. It shouldn't happen in any airplane, and it certainly 
shouldn't happen to an air ambulance.
  Just a short time ago, I spoke with Secretary of Transportation Ray 
LaHood. I am very happy he is acting, and acting quickly, to make sure 
this never happens again in Reno or anywhere else. We know we had an 
experience a few weeks ago right here in Washington, DC, the same type 
of situation.
  Why did it happen? Reno was one of 27 airports across the country 
that sometimes had only one air traffic controller on the overnight 
shift. Because of Secretary LaHood's quick action, there will now be 
zero--effective immediately, every airport will have at least two air 
traffic controllers in the tower at any given time.
  As I indicated, I have flown into and out of that airport many times. 
In October I was there for a celebration. We were opening a new control 
tower. It was very badly needed. From the old one, you couldn't see 
parts of the runway. When Reno's old control tower was built, Dwight 
Eisenhower was President and the Dodgers were in Brooklyn. In the half 
century since, the area's population has more than tripled. So it was 
fitting, we said at the time, that the airport open a control tower 
three times as tall as the old one.
  Last night's near tragedy reminds us that state-of-the-art structures 
and the best technology work only as well as the people operating them. 
If these people fall asleep on the job, literally, they risk the lives 
of millions of Americans flying into and out of airports every day.
  Secretary LaHood and Randy Babbitt, FAA Administrator, are doing 
their jobs. I appreciate their responsiveness and share their outrage 
that this ever happened, but Congress also has a key role to play. We 
have to do our jobs.
  The Senate passed a bill in February to modernize America's air 
travel. With that legislation we created or saved 280,000 jobs. It 
would improve aviation safety and protect travelers, and that is an 
understatement. It would even help reduce delays, improve access to 
rural communities, and it would do all this while creating jobs.
  The Republican House also passed a companion bill a few days ago, but 
the House bill is almost the opposite of ours. It is dangerous. It 
doesn't protect passengers, it imperils passengers. The Republican bill 
would cut the modern navigation systems at our Nation's airports. It is 
hard to comprehend--an FAA bill, to which we have had to give short-
term extensions--I don't know exactly the number of times but like 14 
different times--now we are going to try to pass a bill that doesn't 
modernize our navigation systems at our airports. That would be wrong.
  The FAA said the House bill would force it to furlough safety-related 
employees--not just any employees but those whose primary job is 
keeping air travel safe. That doesn't make any sense. It would also 
keep airports from making the infrastructure improvements they need and 
would completely end the program that ensures rural communities--in 
small towns such as Ely, NV--have air service.
  The Senate-passed bill and the House-passed bill are now in 
conference to work out the differences. Clearly, there are a lot of 
differences. The conferees have some choices to make, and they are 
important, but they need to make them quickly so that both Houses can 
pass this bill and send it to the President, and do it quickly.
  This bill passed on a huge bipartisan vote. Again, we are grateful 
everyone in Reno is OK, but the next time we may not be so fortunate. 
Let's make our airports and our travel as safe as possible as soon as 
possible so the next time we don't have to rely on luck. That is what 
it was.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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