Cat Loses Nine Lives

You may recall last weekend's air collision between a sightseeing helicopter and a single engine plane over the Hudson River in New York.

It appears that the air traffic controller who was supposed to be advising the pilot of the plane was on a private phone call talking about a dead cat.

Yep, a dead cat. He or she called an airport contractor to chat about a dead cat that had been found at Teterboro Airport. This took precedence over advising the pilot about other aircraft in his path. The controller and his/her supervisor have been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.

Remarks such as "You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a helicopter" are inappropriate although true.