THIS is the bizarre moment two pilots bark and meow at each other whilst an exasperated air controller tells the pair to “be professional”.
According to comments by the controller, the pair exchanged animal noises for over five minutes.
An air traffic controller told the pair to ‘be professional’ only to be met with rapid fire ‘meow meow meow meow’Credit: Alamy
The swapping of animal noises between the pilots occurred under the shadow of a deadly crash at the same DC airportCredit: Refer to source
It is not clear if the pilots were flying passengers whilst meowing and barking at one anotherCredit: Alamy
He reprimanded them: “You guys, uh, need to be professional pilots”.
The pilots took no heed, responding with a series of “meows” in quick succession.
In the bizarre audio clip, the other then chimed in with a high-pitched imitation of a dog barking.
“This is why you still fly an RJ (regional jet)”, the air controller quipped.
Pilots typically start out flying regional airlines at the beginning of their careers, though it is not clear if the pilots were flying passenger jets at the time of the exchange.
“It was funny for the first five minutes”, he added, before the clip ends.
The pilot’s exchange was recorded near the fateful Ronald Reagan Washington National airport, the site of a collision which left 67 people dead.
An American Airlines plane erupted into flames and fell in three pieces into the Potomac River after being struck by a US army Black Hawk helicopter in January last year.
No one on board the plane survived the tragic accident, making it the deadliest US air crash in over 20 years.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the two pilots for a potential breach of professional conduct.
They told NBC News: “FAA regulations prohibit pilots from engaging in non-essential conversations when they’re below 10,000 feet altitude. Conversations must be related to the safe operation of the aircraft. The FAA investigates all situations where pilots may have violated any regulation.”
The agency must first verify the veracity of the clip before deciding how to proceed.
Reactions to the audio have been mixed, with some thinking it was harmless fun and others concerned the distracted pilots were putting lives at risk.
“Fire them. Simple as that. You want to joke around, do it on your own time and don’t be doing it when you’re in a position that can impact the safety of others. Especially after all of the airplane tragedies we’ve seen over the last few months,” said one user.
Another added: “As a pilot I find this behavior unacceptable. It’s one thing to add some humor to a radio call but to continue as they did is completely unprofessional”.
Others however were unfazed.
“As long as nothing bad happened, and it’s not something they do regularly – I don’t see the problem here.
“It’s an extremely stressful job. Let them have a little fun to break the tension when nothing’s going on”.
The DC airport near where the pilots were calling was the site of a deadly collision which killed 67 people last yearCredit: Reuters
The bizarre audio has drawn mixed reactions with some finding the exchange funny and others slamming the pilots for their reckless conductCredit: 7 News
The wreckage of the American Airlines plane which crashed last year is pulled from the Potomac River in Washington DCCredit: EPA 
Eze Chidiebere Paul
I'm dedicated to creating high-quality content that informs, inspires, and delights. If you have any questions or suggestions, don't hesitate to get in touch. Happy reading!
