Plane Delays Landing for Tea Break

I'm not surprised. I once read a rulebook for cricket. One of the rules was a team can call a timeout during the game for a tea break. Is that their idea of keeping spectators on the edge of their seats? It wouldn't exactly fuel my desire to start "the wave".

Well, granted a 'tea break' is pretty much the equivalent of an american 'coffee break', that is, it's *probably* not the case that the person involved is sitting down enjoying a good cuppa Earl Grey. It may very well have been the polite way of saying that the gent's ex-lax had just kicked in, or he'd gone to grab a bite to eat, thinking his shift was covered..

It *does* sound bad, though.

How about landing at the wrong airport?

http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9&si=1590099&issue_id=13865

I would hope everyone enjoys short breaks at their jobs. Air traffic control is stressful so I imagine breaks are really necessary. It sounds the problem is with management (not the "breaker").

I think this is still a hoax. Air Traffic Controller staffing is set up so a controller won't have to work too many consecutive hours. This has zero ring of truth. (I'm a former Air Traffic Controller--it's a VERY boring job.)

Alternate explanation--I worked a tower in Arkansas. Late at night, we had only two controllers on duty unless the airport or national guard scheduled a flight.

Upon further reflection, I think it very possible that the airline screwed up and forgot to schedule the correct landing time and nobody was, in fact, on duty at all. I wouldn't be surprised if the lights were all off as well, which is why the pilot didn't just land (which is permissable at some uncontrolled airports.)

Joe, my mom was an ATC...she said it was a lot of fun, but it was stressful.

I thought though, that you couldn't sit there for a certain amount of hours without leaving for a mandatory break. Maybe that was the case...

I suspect your explanation is right, Maegan. Still sounds funny, though, to say the controller was on their tea break.

Maybe it was "pee" break...and the pilot felt weird telling the passengers so...

That's right, the tower said it was a "pee" break. But because there was a bit of static on the radio, the pilot heard it wrong.

This item was posted right after the news hit about Representative Tom DeLay's resignation (something about his opponents blowing a few bribery indictments all out of proportion), and ...

Was I the only person who read the headline (Plane Delays Landing for Tea Break) and thought it had to do with the soon-to-be former Congressman and his family stopping at an airport for refreshments?

Well i agree with Joe over here

I would hope everyone enjoys short breaks at their jobs. Air traffic control is stressful so I imagine breaks are really necessary. It sounds the problem is with management (not the "breaker").