Controller Had Two Hours Sleep in KY Crash

The late news reported earlier that the air traffic controller in the fatal Kentucky plane crash had had only two hours of sleep between shifts.

[Link]

The more the story unfurls the more it appears that a sad conflux of factors combined to create the tragedy.

Completely unrelated, there was a rather ironic quote in the article from the FAA Spokesman Laura Brown.

After discussing FAA rules which require attendants avoid fatigue she said:

If they don't believe they're fit for duty, they're supposed to tell us that. You won't be penalized for not reporting for work.

Let's think about this.

Is that really supposed to make us feel any safer about flying? Are we really comforted to know that FAA air traffic controllers won't be penalized if they fail to show up for work?

Admittedly, I'm being a bit snarky. But seriously the FAA would have to be the only place of employment in America where workers are not penalized for failure to show up.