The lone air traffic controller at the Palm Beach Airport kicked off his shoes and fell asleep in the tower while apparently cleaning his pistol, forcing a jetliner to land without guidance, authorities say.
The pilot of the Delta Air Lines flight from Sacramento, Calif., circled the airport, unable to communicate with the tower, before safely putting the plane down with more than 40 people aboard April 29.Fearing the controller was ill, sheriff's deputies obtained the access codes to the electronic lock on the tower door and entered about 1:40 a.m., to find a shoeless Rodney Tatum apparently just waking up, Sgt. Bruce Barkdoll said.
Barkdoll said a gun and ammunition were on the table, and a nearby kit indicated Tatum may have been cleaning the pistol.
It is against regulations to have a weapon in the tower, Federal Aviation Administration regional spokeswoman Anne Eldridge said.
No immediate charges were filed. Eldridge said the incident was under investigation.