Isn’t it kind of wild how one air traffic controller can build such a ”name” for himself, and not in a good way?
Continue reading: Delta Pilot & JFK ATC Argue: “Don’t Freak Out On Me,” “I Make Mistakes”
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Humans make mistakes.
I freak out.
Because
1. Neither of you should make ANY mistakes.
2. Both of you are long obsolete and way overdue to be replaced.
Time to remove the leading cause of deadly accidents.
As somebody who has had his own share of run ins even with NY area controllers (as a private pilot not commercial), I don't see anything wrong with the controller communication here.
Both are likely to have had an exhausting day.
"That's crazy" is just exasperation. And if the pilot has made an obvious avoidable error, then the pilot should not be so sensitive to such comments let alone act like a victim. Highly unprofessional behavior on part of the pilot.
The second part when he has been waiting could also have been handled without accusing the controller even if he was being intentionally held.
You make mistakes, you take your lump of coal. And this is hardly egregious behavior from the controller. Save it for when the controllers are really being obnoxious.
The Delta pilot needs a talking to from his superiors.
Seems like a very unprofessional and dangerous Dunn Airlines pilot. Can't follow basic instructions?
He'll I would have said the same thing to the so called pilot! WTF is he doing getting on the wrong taxiway- ever heard of Tenerife?? This is Extremely serious and good to see he was called out and reprimanded. But then, as I have seen the industry over my many years in it in many various capacities, the narcissist pilot doesn't accept he is WRONG and starts harassing and antagonizing the air traffic controller whose job is to.ensure Aviation Safety! So much more important than pilots and the pilot dares to get mouthy?? WTF is wrong with this nutjob. If this was 40 years ago back in the 60s he would have been tarred and feathered!!
You know what?
Computers don't have or behave
1. exhausting day
2. exasperation
3. unprofessional behavior
4. being obnoxious
5. condescending
All of which contributes to a deadly disaster waiting to happen.
Time to save lives and prevent these avoidable human errors.
And yet Ben noted that the two taxiways were operating at that time in the same direction.
Extremely dangerous is what an AA 777 did in crossing an active runway and then after the DL flight aborted takeoff at high speed, the AA flight continued to LHR.
Ben got it right. This was a minor inconvenience to someone that feels his birthright is to control a plot of land and does it day after day while pilots land at scores of airports every year.
ATC definitely punished him by making the plane “sit in the corner” for a while.
It would have been simple enough to just allow the DL plane to continue on Kilo from taxiway A…
Deuce - why is all you do defend the failing Delta and drag down all other airlines with fake facts?
Because it was inconsequential in practice. It was a controller power grab as Ben notes.
Why do you reflexively incapable of critical thinking?
Liddle Tommy Deuce, you're inconsequential in Practice, principle and reality.
Why do you insist on being an insufferable dink!?!
You know, if there is any position of responsibility on earth where you want the person occupying that position to be a slightly anal perfectionist, I think air traffic controller is it.
Kinda feels like a lot of folks can’t handle the DIRECTNESS of New Yorkers. Like, I guess, maybe say an Atlanta-based crew would prefer a more passive aggressive ‘oh, bless your heart’ southern tone. We prefer front-stabbing to back-stabbing… is all I’m sayin’
Any normal airport / country and this person would have lost their ATC licence after a second incident like this. If you can't resist creating conflicts on the frequency and your personality makes it impossible for you to not escalate, you have no place being a controller. It's beyond me how anyone managing an ATC unit can accept this.
Stupid Tim Dunn...
Lucked out from having an accident from an error doesn't equal inconsequential.
you do realize that DL has multiple bases outside of ATL and they even allow New Yorkers into their ATL base?
stop overgeneralizing and recognize that being abrasive is not only not necessary but it is dangerous
And having no emotional control is not a universal attribute of New Yorkers.
No, Ben covers lots of airline/ATC delays.
It is only for the low IQ people like you two that can't figure out the difference between a 777 crossing and active taxiway or two flights being cleared to takeoff at the same time on parallel runways with the same turnout that are problems; turning onto an empty taxiway is just not it.
If we are lucky, AI will replace you two with AI meaning ANY intelligence.
Low IQ indeed Tim.
You're just comparing speeding on an highway that happens to be empty is okay and safe.
Just because it's empty doesn't make it legal or safe.
At this point dumb is already a compliment for you.
and he stopped when it was pointed out to him.
You are hellbent on throwing stones and nothing supports your rage.
Any intelligence would be an upgrade to your posts.
all you can really do is hope that he eventually gets a pilot dickish enough to give him the same treatment and he works himself up into a coronary
That's when he gets enroute to LAS, contact his duty pilot via radio and REPORT the ATC controller. ATC has to remember, they work for US...not the other way around.
That's when he gets enroute to LAS, contact his duty pilot via radio and REPORT the ATC controller. ATC has to remember, they work for US...not the other way around. Also..."On request" isn't standard phraseology, I think.
Humans make mistakes and JFK is an easy place to make mistakes. There's enough taxiways to resolve things like this without getting emotional. Maybe this controller needs to limit his Starbucks intake to relax. It's just a job, not a competition.
Ah, good old JFK. I see a lot of piling on the controller. There are a massive number of moving pieces and the DL pilot screwed up the big picture of what the controller had going on. Rather than swallow his pride admit his mistake and maybe say sorry the DL Skipper decided to wrangle with him. You’re in the big leagues now, act like it.
And yes @Win, on request is standard phraseology. I thought the controller did a good job of explaining it, slow and clear
@Tim Dunn
Since you live in Atlanta I will agree with you. That is because you are even more of an A-Hole than anyone in the NE.
As a former ATC, I took a little more pride in sticking with standard phraseology and also keeping my temper under control. I suspect this character is given a very long rope because they are chronically short staffed and, like the pilot world, ATC management prefers to look the other way. Can you imagine being this guys’ trainee for an extended period? He’s an embarrassment to the profession.
On another topic, can someone explain why Jet Blue is practicing touch and go at Boston?
Date Departure Arrival Aircraft Duration
Monday 02:53AM EST Boston Logan Intl - KBOS 02:54AM EST Boston Logan Intl - KBOS A320 0h 01m
Monday 23-Feb-2026 02:47AM EST Boston Logan Intl - KBOS 02:49AM EST Boston Logan Intl - KBOS A320 0h 02m
Monday 23-Feb-2026 02:43AM EST Boston Logan Intl - KBOS Last seen at 02:44AM EST
near Boston, MA A320 0h 01m
Monday 23-Feb-2026 02:38AM EST Boston Logan Intl - KBOS 02:38AM EST (?) Boston Logan Intl - KBOS A320
Monday 23-Feb-2026 02:29AM EST Boston Logan Intl - KBOS 02:32AM EST Boston Logan Intl - KBOS A320 0h 03m
Monday 23-Feb-2026 02:23AM EST Boston Logan Intl - KBOS 02:25AM EST Boston Logan Intl - KBOS A320 0h 02m
your performative rage might have some merit if you were even 10% engaged when your company's 777 made an unauthorized cross of a runway on which a DL 737 was departing, leading to the DL high speed RTO while the AA flight continued to LHR.
Here is to hoping that DL will finish off AA in NYC while AA is fighting for its life (words of AA execs) with UA at ORD. DL would be doing a public service to make JFK a safer place for all passengers and pilots.
oh, and did you miss that Ben said there was no traffic on either taxiway and they were operating in the same direction at the time?
But that's not the point. ATC is perfectly right in pointing out the mistake, and giving new instructions. No one is debating that. The problem is that ATC (and the pilot for that matter) should always work to *de-escalate* tensions rather than escalate them. Whether or not a pilot made a mistake, or is an idiot, or whatever else he may think privately, getting the pilot riled up before the most error-prone part of a flight is not what ATC should be doing, if safety is the primary goal.
Heck, even when airplanes are about to crash land, or have an engine fire, or some other truly panicked situation, if you listen to the tape, you'll be amazed how calm, professional and strictly by-the-books both the pilot and the controller remain. Because keeping emotions from escalating is an integral part of the work of optimizing for safety.
FWIW, I believe both the controller and the pilot are in the wrong here. The pilot made a mistake. Then ATC, while giving new instructions, escalated the emotion. The escalation was his mistake. The pilot responded with his own snark, when he should have just accepted that ATC is being an asshole and de-escalate on his own. They're both professionals. Neither of them should be assholes to each other, but if one of them fails that, the other should still maintain their professional demeanor and focus on the task at hand. The pilot failed to do that.
Both parties here are spending at least some part of their mental capacity on one-upping each other, rather than spending it fully on the task at hand: maneuvering a giant machine full of people on one of the most congested pieces of land on earth, during one of the most dangerous parts of flight, and properly entering one of the busiest airspaces in the world. That is the mistake, and both parties are to blame for it. Being an anal perfectionist has nothing to do with the emotional temperature they both sustained.
except I don't live in ATL or the NE
internet myths die hard but this one has way too much life
TD says, "Here is to hoping that DL will finish off AA in NYC while AA is fighting for its life (words of AA execs) with UA at ORD. DL would be doing a public service to make JFK a safer place for all passengers and pilots."
Says the guy who is always lavishing praise on DL for the gentlemanly and benevolent manner in which they compete in the market. Too funny.
It takes two to tango. If the pilot was the bigger man, he'd deescalate instead of arguing. It sucks, but that's what being a bigger man means.
Insane how times change. This controller stopped delta from hitting American Airlines crossing the runway downfield a few years back. Was hailed a hero for weeks.
Now, he’s become a villain because pilots “make mistakes” and he calls them out on it. Wild times.
The fact he hasnt been fired is curruption. Doeant matter if you're short staffed, maybe pay people more and they would be interested. Allowing this behavior to continue is going to cause an accident.