An amateur-built aircraft incident near Arlington, Virginia, March 23, 2011
On March 23, 2011 at about 4:04 am local time, a an amateur-built aircraft was involved in an incident near Arlington, Virginia (Washington National Airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). The NTSB record does not give the injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The tower controller's loss of consciousness induced by lack of sleep, fatigue resulting from working successive midnight shifts, and air traffic control scheduling practices.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 23, 2011 · about 4:04 am local time
- Place
- Arlington, Virginia · Washington National Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- An amateur-built aircraft
- Registration
- not recorded
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Between approximately 0004 and 0028 local time, an air traffic control service interruption occurred at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when two air carrier aircraft, a helicopter, an airport operations vehicle, and controllers at the Federal Aviation Administration's Potomac Terminal Radar Approach Control were unable to establish contact with the supervisory controller working alone in the control tower. Two air carrier aircraft landed during the period without tower contact. Postincident investigation revealed that the controller on duty had the necessary preconditions for the development of fatigue at the time of the event, specifically acute sleep loss in the 24 hours before the event and circadian disruption as a result of working the midnight shift.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Air traffic event defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Other loss of consciousness › ATC personnel
- cause Personnel issues › Physical › Alertness/Fatigue › Lack of sleep › ATC personnel
- cause Personnel issues › Physical › Alertness/Fatigue › Fatigue due to work schedule › ATC personnel
- cause Organizational issues › Management › Scheduling › Scheduling of personnel › ATC
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: FAA Washington Flight Program
The flight
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 090° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 11:52 pm from DCA
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.