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Air traffic controller dies ensuring flight gets off the ground

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An Indonesian air traffic controller has sacrificed his life to ensure a plane carrying hundreds of people safely made it off the ground after Friday's earthquake. ( עוד...

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sharon bias 37
“Logic clearly dictates that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” Spock. RIP
lynx318 2
ken young 1
shleong 17
Rename the airport after him.
Richard Orgill 24
Hopefully, they will honor this brave controller.
lynx318 3
Hope a plaque or memorial is placed there.
Steve Collier 27
John 15:13
Janet Lindrea 7
RIP ... he is a true hero
Deborah Lipsitz 6
He could have done as his coworkers did and fled, and no one would have faulted him. But he stayed, knowing other lives than his own were at stake. -- Hero.
Michael Ragsdale 8
Had I been the Captain on the flight in question, waiting for clearance from the tower to take-off during an earthquake would have been the LAST thing that I would have done.
I feel for the guy, but damn, you don't need to clear the flight for takeoff. As soon as the ground started rumbling, it'd be max. thrust and outta there with no clearance!!!
Donald Stewart 2
Name the airport after him
AWAAlum 0
Is theere an echo in here?? lol
ken young 2
In some of us, there is higher conscience of duty. Duty before self.
This man was blessed with such a conscience
Robert Huff 2
The man is nothing short of a hero. Such dedication is rare today. His actions touched many lives and many more souls. Bless him..
Shenghao Han 2
He is a brave man, but at same time, I question why did he jump...
James Simms 7
An ATC died when the tower collapsed during the Great Alaska Earthquake in March 1964. Then, the building codes were probably not up to snuff as a lot has been learned since. Probably guessing the tower in Indonesia wasn’t built up to code there.
sharon bias 6
When the building is swaying, and you know a tsaumi is coming, logic sometimes goes out the window. Half of the building did collapse. He was really in a no win situation.
sparkie624 6
If I was in his position, I cannot say for sure what I would have done... But know what was coming, maybe he felt he had a better chance for survival by getting out and away from the building as soon as possible...

May he RIP and may he have Eternal Life in Glory!
Brandon Cardona 3
Hindsight is 20/20
AWAAlum 1
I imagine that when you find yourself in a building that is supposed to be a solid and unmovable, but instead is rockin' and rollin', you'd do just about anything to get away from it. Logical thinking goes out the window - and you do the first thing that comes into your head. I don't think "logic" exists in some circumstances. Just bail.
mary susan watkins 2
others were leaving and this man felt the need to stay to help before he ran to some kind of safety himself..that is unselfish,although the jump he made from the tower,according to the article, is what cost him his life..earthhquakes are scary by themselves, but compounded with a tsunami,what would anyone do...
McBlemmen 2
A little strange, I wonder why he didn't just leave the same way the others left? Then again panic makes people do strange things. still a hero.
Linda Nitzschke 6
Some of the tower did collapse. By the time he got that plane off the ground, the normal exit was probably not accessible.
jet4ang 1
One would "think" that buildings in a super earthquake zone would be built to endure them. Especially a control tower which is not that tall. RIP comrade.
Brian Acquistapace 1
That is the real shame of this situation, those who designed and built that tower were not nearly as dedicated to their jobs as this young man was. They did not do their jobs properly, and he pays the ultimate price just doing his job properly. Hopefully Indonesia improves their building codes as a result.
Jerry Quarles 1
Mr.Agung...I'm sure many owe their life to you. May you R.I.P.
Bingers 1
That controller didn’t need to die, they should’ve improved the tower’s safety
Wm. Mark Meiggs 1
Supremus honor meus
john doe 1
What a shame. Looks like a nice kid. That being said: will someone please explain to us all specifically what was going to happen to the plane if it had not taken off?
AWAAlum 6
Depending, I suppose, on the kind of damage that may have occurred around where the plane was positioned. If a large enough crevice opened up, the plane, pax and crew could have been in serious trouble. I imagine the ATC figured it was better off far far away from the quake. I would agree with that. Additionally, there was a tsunami en route - not a very good outlook.
Fernando Juarez 1
Upps this man is Honorable Guy
Allyssa McCarthy 1
just amazing. i hope he gets honored!
lwqcz -2
Sorry but ... What damage can cause an earthquake to an airplane? None?
sparkie624 1
A Lot when it is still on the Ground! He was trying to help get the plane safely off the ground.
lwqcz 0
The plane is only affected via suspension included in landing gear. Or there is meant the danger of tsunami wave?
sparkie624 -1
If the plane is on the ground when it hits, it and a lot of people will cease to exist! Those shock struts will only support so much... How about taking your plane over there and riding it out on the ground!
lwqcz 1
Sorry I do not understand you.
Karen Antalek -2
you're not sorry. This isn't a question. You should have investigated this before disrespecting the man who gave his life.
AWAAlum 2
Karen - I don't believe he was "disrespecting" the ATC. The way he phrased his comment sounds to me like a genuine question...he simply didn't understand how the plane would be affected. In addition, it looks as though English may be his second language.
Joe Collins -1
Agreed. Taking off while there is an earthquake is a bad decision. I would not want to be rolling down the runway while the ground is moving with possible pavement separation. But that doesn't paint a glorious picture of the controller. So we will go with what makes people feel good.
shleong 0
How confident are you about being locked inside a metal tube filled with people and fuel, that has all of its weight on three sticks called landing gear while the ground is moving in many directions?
Joe Collins 2
Very confident. I would be much less confident if I was accelerating down a runway with pavement moving underneath me. Let me count the number of airplanes that have spontaneously exploded while sitting on the ground during an earthquake.
Joe Collins 1
Still counting... Still at zero.
jet4ang 1
Very confident, as long as the plane isn't underneath a building. You must not know the strength of landing gears and yes, the ground moves, in large waves and side slips but in NO WAY enough to collapse a landing gear while sitting on the ground.

[This comment has been downvoted. Show anyway.]

sparkie624 1
Language Please
Mike Johnstone 0
A real HERO of the highest order, what a pity no hand held device available for communication.

RIP Anthonius
erictarnow -1
(Duplicate Squawk Submitted)

Indonesian Air Traffic Controller hailed a hero

An Indonesian Air Traffic Controller hailed a hero after ensuring the last flight departs before a devastating earthquake struck. His selfless act cost him his life, but saved many more. R.I.P.
Tom Novak -1
(Duplicate Squawk Submitted)

Indonesia quake: air traffic controller died after staying in tower to guide plane

An Indonesian air traffic controller is being posthumously hailed as a hero for refusing to leave his post despite devastating earthquakes so that he could guide a passenger jet safely off the ground.

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