. >> reporter: on board, john from the nbc station wrc in washington, who says the pilot kept the passengers updated. >> sorry, folks, we can't land right now. i can't get in contact with the air traffic control tower. >> reporter: after going around, the american pilot landed on his own, radioing his position to other pilots as he approached. soon a united pilot did the same. late today, the ntsb said the controller admitted he fell asleep on his fourth consecutive overnight shift. faa chief, randy babbitt. >> as a former airline pilot i'm outraged at what happened there. we have an investigation ongoing and we will get to the bottom of this. >> reporter: nationwide, 30 airports have single controllers on duty overnight when, like reagan national, there are few, if any, flights. the faa chief has now ordered a review of all tower staffing, but reagan national sits within sight of the pentagon, the white house and congress. >> bottom line is two people in the tower all times, all times, and particularly, particularly at these busy hubs where emergencies can pop up at any minute. >> reporter: