The FAA has increased controller staffing at Las Vegas's McCarran International Airport tower after the only controller on duty late Wednesday apparently became incapacitated at her position. Confused pilots on the ground stopped where they were for about eight minutes and talked among themselves about the issues in the tower before a second controller returned from a break and took over. There were reportedly five inbound aircraft and several maneuvering on the ground when the issues occurred but there were no incidents. The FAA says it will require two controllers to be on duty in the tower when traffic dictates. "The FAA is deeply concerned by the incident, is thoroughly investigating what occurred, and is taking immediate steps to modify its overnight shift staffing policies," the agency said in a statement.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/recent-updates/business-military/vegas-tower-controller-incapacitated