FAA fires a third controller for sleeping on duty

An air traffic controller has twice fallen asleep at Seattle's Boeing Field, the FAA says.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Two controllers were fired last week for falling asleep on duty
• The FAA said Monday a Seattle controller had been fired
• That controller fell asleep on duty in January, then again earlier this month, the FAA said

Washington (CNN) -- An air traffic controller at Seattle's Boeing Field has been fired for twice falling asleep on duty, the Federal Aviation Administration said Monday.

Last week, the FAA fired two air traffic controllers, one of whom worked in Knoxville, Tennessee, and the other in Miami, also for sleeping on the job.

The firings follow a spate of incidents in which controllers in various cities were reported to be sleeping while on duty.

NTSB calls for fatigue-fighting strategies

The controllers were not identified. The FAA said in a statement that they have "a due process right to respond to these actions."

The Seattle controller fell asleep on the job on January 6 and then again on April 11, the FAA said.

In response to the reports of controllers falling asleep on duty, federal officials recently announced a series of new regulations aimed at preventing such incidents.

The life of an air traffic controller

Among other things, controllers now must have a minimum of nine hours off between shifts, instead of the current minimum of eight hours. In addition, controllers can no longer be put on an unscheduled midnight shift following a day off.

CNN's Mike Ahlers contributed to this report.

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