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Air Traffic Controllers Honored for Skill in the Tower

Ken Hopf, left, and Scott Dittamo are among a dozen air traffic controllers being honored by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association for making "saves" in the line of duty.
Charlie Mayer, NPR
Ken Hopf, left, and Scott Dittamo are among a dozen air traffic controllers being honored by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association for making "saves" in the line of duty.

When things go wrong in an airplane cockpit, a few words from an air traffic controller can save the day.

On a clear day last July, Scott Dittamo was training at the Newark Tower when he spotted an Air India flight with 409 passengers on board making its final approach. But something didn't look right. The Boeing 747's landing gear was still up as the plane was a half-mile from landing.

"Air India 145 heavy, check gear down, gear appears up," Dittamo radioed the plane. Colleagues quickly congratulated him on the "great catch."

Michele Norris talks to Dittamo and Ken Hopf, who are among the 12 controllers being honored today for helping prevent tragedies in the nation's skies.

They will receive the National Air Traffic Controllers Association's Archie League Medal of Safety for extraordinary vigilance and skill on the job. The medal is named for the man who is widely believed to be the world's first air traffic controller.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.