Kid Directs Air Traffic at JFK; Dad in Trouble

Child: "JetBlue 171, clear for take off."
Child: "JetBlue 171, contact departure."
Child: "Contact departure. Adios amigos."

There was national outrage over the kid caught on tape directing planes at JFK airport in New York

The child's voice can be heard giving instructions to pilots from the air traffic control tower at the sixth busiest airport in America.

Child: "JetBlue 171, contact departure."
JetBlue Pilot: "Over to departure, jetBlue 171. Awesome job."

Child: "403 clear for takeoff."
Pilot: "403 clear to takeoff. Thank you very much and have a great day."

At one point the kid even banters with an Aeromexico pilot:

Child: "Air Mex 403, contact departure. Adios."
Aeromexico Pilot: "Contact departure, Aeromexico 403. Adios."
Child : "Contact departure. Adios amigo."

Airline safety experts say the air traffic control tower is no place for child's play!

"An air traffic control can, in a split second, save a life. A child, sadly, won't be able to do that," says aviation expert Mary Schiavo.

It happened on February 17th. While the kid was on a week-long break from school, his father, an air traffic controller, apparently took him to the control tower to see what dad did for a living. The boy did seem to be under adult supervision; at one point an adult is heard joking about the kid directing air traffic.

Tower: "This is what you get guys when the kids are out of school."  
Pilot: "Wish I could bring my kid to work."

But FAA officials weren't laughing; they issued a statement saying, "This behavior is not acceptable and does not demonstrate the kind of professionalism expected from all FAA employees."

The air traffic controller dad and his supervisor were suspended pending an investigation.

It was revealed the kid in the air traffic control tower had a twin sister who had also been allowed to speak directly to pilots.