Another Air Traffic Controller Falls Asleep on the Job; New York Searches for Serial Killer
MALVEAUX: The head of the FAA unit in charge of air traffic controllers resigned today. The resignation comes after another controller fell asleep in the tower while a plane was trying to land. The latest incident happened yesterday at Reno/Tahoe International Airport in Nevada, and the pilot of a medical flight with an emergency patient on board was trying to land, but could not reach anyone in the control tower. He was in contact with a radar facility in northern California.</s>PILOT: Cheyenne Lifeguard Zero Tango November, no luck on ground, clearance, or tower. We've got a pretty sick patient. We may just have to land if we have clearance or not.</s>AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: Zero Tango November, they're not answering the phone line either. We're going to try to get another number and see if someone can go up there and check the tower.</s>PILOT: We're going to need to land.</s>AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: Zero Tango November, roger. And landing will be at your own risk. And at last report, wind was calm.</s>MALVEAUX: "Land at your own risk." A federal government source confirms that the pilot tried to reach the controllers seven times before landing safely on his own. Well, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says that incidents of controllers falling asleep on the job, absolutely unacceptable. Want to bring in our homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve. Jeanne, you know, this is amazing, when you hear this story. We just covered a story similar to this. This was a couple of weeks ago. What is the FAA thinking about -- how do they resolve this problem?</s>JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, actually, we have covered three in recent weeks. There was the one in Washington, D.C., at National Airport. There was one in Knoxville, Tennessee. Now there's this one. As you mentioned, the FAA had just announced a very short time ago that a top official, the head of its air traffic organization, has resigned in the aftermath of this series of incidents that have been going on. Ray LaHood indicated, as you mentioned, that he was absolutely outraged by what's happened.</s>RAY LAHOOD, TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: This is ridiculous, it's outrageous. It's the kind of behavior that we will not stand for at the Department of Transportation. The controller has been suspended. We're conducting an investigation.</s>MESERVE: And they also say that they are staffing up at 27 airports around the country where there has been only one controller on shift at midnight. Now they're going to put two. However, Republican Congressman John Mica doesn't like that idea. He said only in the federal government would you double up on workers averaging $161,000 per year in salary and benefits that are not doing their job. I will also say that Randy Babbitt, the FAA administrator, says further steps may be in the offing. He says they will do whatever has to be done to make sure that the traveling public is safe -- Suzanne.</s>MALVEAUX: So, Jeanne, what is the problem here? Is there a shortage of air traffic controllers? Are they working too hard or too long? Are they sleep-deprived? I mean, what is the situation here?</s>MESERVE: Well, we don't have all the answers. That's something that the FAA is definitely going to be taking a look at to try and figure out. We do know that we have an aging air traffic controller population. Ronald Reagan, you will recall, fired all the air traffic controllers, a new bunch was brought in. A lot of them are reaching retirement age, and they're in the process of switching over to a new generation, as it were. But they are also looking at issues of staffing. Right now, as I understand it from officials, their schedules are not consistent across the workweek, and that can add additional wear and tear to people. And then there's this question of how many people you need in the tower to keep them awake. In one of these incidents back in Knoxville, I believe it was, there were actually two sections of the tower. One was a regional controller, one was local. The regional controller realized something was wrong, went down repeatedly to try and wake up the local guy, and just wasn't able to do it. So, will two controllers be the answer? Who knows? We'll find out I guess in the months to come.</s>MALVEAUX: All right. As long as you don't have two sleeping controllers, I guess you're OK. Thank you, Jeanne. Appreciate it.</s>MESERVE: OK.</s>MALVEAUX: Well, searching for more bodies and clues to a serial killer, investigators in New York now plan to use high-resolution aerial photos to help examine parts of Long Island. No, so far, at least eight sets of human remains have been found. I want to bring in our senior correspondent, Allan Chernoff, who joins us from Jones Beach on Long Island. Allan, give us a sense of what is taking place. I know authorities are sending these airplanes, these helicopters to shoot some high-res photos. What are they looking for, and what's caught their eye?</s>ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SR. CORRESPONDENT: Well, the police have told us that they have some what they call spots of interest, areas that they wanted to examine that are very difficult to reach by land. So they're using a helicopter this morning, as you said. It's been taking high-resolution photos. If they determine it is absolutely something that they must examine, they're actually going to use chainsaws to cut through the brush to get through to those areas and retrieve whatever it may be.</s>MALVEAUX: Any sense what they're looking for?</s>CHERNOFF: Well, I mean, it's certainly possible that they may find more human remains, but, frankly, they don't know. They just said to us that what they have identified thus far is not natural, but we don't know exactly what. And frankly, they don't know yet either.</s>MALVEAUX: And I understand, Allan, you've been doing some investigating yourself. You spoke to a man who could be a key witness in this serial killer case. What was that conversation? What did he tell you?</s>CHERNOFF: Right, a fellow by the name of Gus Coletti. He lives nearby here. And last May 1st, he was the man who heard a bang on his door at 5:00 in the morning. He answered it. It turned out to be a woman from Jersey City, Shannan Gilbert. She was a call girl. And she begged him for help. She said, "Help me! Help me!" He called the police right away. She dashed out and hasn't been seen since. The police have been searching for her. In fact, her disappearance led to this entire investigation. But they simply have had no luck whatsoever. Now, Mr. Coletti told me that it actually took months for the police to sit down and ask him detailed questions. Let's have a listen to what he said.</s>GUS COLETTI, OAK BEACH, NEW YORK, RESIDENT: A missing persons detective came here, like, in August, and was asking about her. And I said, "Where have you been?" And he said, "Well, it's the kind of thing of the New Jersey Police Department didn't take them and" --</s>CHERNOFF: They didn't come. She was missing May 1st.</s>COLETTI: Yes.</s>CHERNOFF: But the police did not come to visit you until August?</s>COLETTI: That's correct.</s>CHERNOFF: Nothing?</s>COLETTI: Nothing.</s>CHERNOFF: May, June, July -- finally in August?</s>COLETTI: Right.</s>CHERNOFF: Four months?</s>COLETTI: Right. And that was missing persons.</s>CHERNOFF: And you called the police immediately.</s>COLETTI: Yes. Well, they came in here, but as far as investigating it, no.</s>CHERNOFF: The police here say that, indeed, they have spoken with Mr. Coletti several times since May 1st, although they would not provide us with the precise dates when they interviewed him. They also say that he provided a written statement back in June, the month after he heard that knock at the door. He denies that. He said he actually provided a written statement in December -- Suzanne.</s>MALVEAUX: And, Allan, I understand the witness that you spoke with, he -- also, there was a man that came rushing up to his door after this woman left, right, who was looking for someone, looking for someone he said -- claimed was his girlfriend? Do we suspect that that man who also showed up at the witness' door could be the serial killer?</s>CHERNOFF: Well, that man was actually driving an SUV. And yes, he told Mr. Coletti that he was looking for the woman. He said they had been at a party, she left upset. And he was trying to find her, bring her back. When she ran off, he actually drove after her. Now, Mr. Coletti told us, through his discussions with the police, he understands that that man apparently was the woman's pump. And he's been questioned, but apparently is not a suspect. However, that is not from the police. The police will not comment about that.</s>MALVEAUX: OK. Allan, thank you very much for clearing that up for us. Appreciate it. Checking some other stories across the country. A dangerous situation in west Texas is getting even more serious. High winds are helping spread wildfires. The Texas Forest Service says almost half a million acres have burned this week. More than 500 homes have been evacuated. More neighborhoods could be at risk today. In Lansing, Michigan, protests over Governor Rick Snyder's budget plan. Several thousand people from across the state gathered for a rally at the state capitol. Among other things, they're upset about the governor's push for education cuts and his plan to tax pensions. In Vermont, a daring rescue. After four hours, crews were able to pull a young dog from the icy waters off Lake Champlain. The dog had broken free from its leash and ran into lake ice. Retirement, no money. In these tough times, a lot of Americans are facing that risk. We're going to get you tips on how you can save for your golden years even on that tight budget.