The agency says it will begin deploying Data Comm, as the program has been renamed, in all control towers in 2016 and in all high-altitude control centers in 2019.

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Alongside the HTC-made handset are an altitude and orbit control system, two propulsion setups and a Linux-based computer with a "high-speed" processor.

ENGADGET

Fossett will use a bigger balloon this time, and control its altitude by working a propane ethane burner.

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The altitude at which the co-pilot handed control of the plane to his colleague was below the minimum altitude considered safe to continue final descent.

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Miami's terminal radar approach control center, or Tracon, guides airplanes from high altitude into airport approach paths and then hands them over to airport control towers.

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There are also varying guidelines about how many hours of training pilots must complete, below what altitude they should not hand over control of a plane and when they should abort landings.

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The captain saw what was happening and immediately pulled back on the control column in a frantic attempt to increase altitude.

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Most airliners have autopilots which use sophisticated computer software to help pilots control the aircraft, used often during long periods of flying at the same altitude on long-haul flights.

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Engineers and mission control officials worked to quickly identify and fix the problem, before Dragon started tumbling or even losing altitude.

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To the surprise of the airlines, control towers began unilaterally to impose a separation of 60 nautical miles between aircraft, irrespective of their altitude.

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