You didn't quote the whole article. It can be found at:
http://www.turnto10.com/news/9227658/detail.html and towards the bottom
it says:


A Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said based on control tower
recordings, Southwest's version of events is "not true."

"Southwest made a decision to return to Baltimore after the pilot
attempted to make a landing ... [and] missed his approach," spokesman
Jim Peters said. "Based on conversations, it was not necessary for the
tower to be open when that plane landed."

Peters said it is possible for flights to land without someone being
present in the control tower.


So was a dispatcher confused, or did the pilot outright lie, or did the
passengers and/or reporter misunderstand what was going on? Or is the
FAA covering its butt?


Blowinginthewind wrote:
Looks like this is becoming a common occurrence lately.

Oh I forgot, the FAA treats their controller and technical
workforce like ****. Maybe that's it.

FAA Control tower Abandoned

Southwest Planes Turn Around Minutes From Green
Southwest Says Planes Could Not Land Without Air Traffic Control

UPDATED: 8:34 pm EDT May 16, 2006
WARWICK, R.I. -- Two Southwest Airlines flights left
Baltimore Monday night bound for Rhode Island, but it was
just the beginning of a back-and-forth odyssey for dozens of
passengers.

NBC 10's Audrey Laganas reported that the planes turned
around in flight just before midnight. The passengers said
the pilots told them they were turning back because there
was no one in the control tower at T.F. Green Airport.

The stranded passengers were so mad, they called NBC 10.

NBC 10 was waiting when they landed Tuesday morning.

"It was so sad, and we were treated like cattle," said
Michelle Harvey, who was flying home from Baltimore with her
mother.

"And then when we were flying, the pilot got on. He sounded
greatly distressed. He said, 'There's no one at the tower in
Providence. We have to go back.' We were about 10 minutes
out. Ten or 15 minutes out," Harvey said.

The passengers had to camp out overnight at the airport in
Baltimore.