On-duty air traffic controller found passed out drunk
An on-duty air traffic controller was arrested after being found unconscious and intoxicated on the tower floor.
Controller in charge, Philip Maschek, aged 50, was found in the early hours of the morning at the Springdale Municipal Airport, Arkansas, by another employee who said Maschek was ‘passed out in his chair with his shirt off’, according to a police report.
A pilot on the tarmac preparing to take off couldn’t get the tower to respond last Thursday, said Wyman Morgan, an airport official.
The controller position is a ‘highly sensitive’ role, Morgan said, who called police.
Morgan said Maschek had made an error ‘we couldn’t tolerate’.
"The tower operator has control and responsibility of the safety of the planes landing and taking off at the airport. It’s a very safety-oriented position," Morgan added.
Maschek, who works for a contractor which operates air traffic control duties at the airport, failed sobriety tests and was clearly showing signs of intoxication, according to the police report.
"The FAA will work with the controller’s employer, to investigate the incident," said FAA spokesman Tony Molinaro.
The contractor Robinson Aviation has also started its own investigation.
Maschek was arrested for public intoxication and is being held at Springdale jail.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season