Did privatization contribute to the death of more than 200 passengers on a Korean air jet yesterday? When the jet crashed during a tropical downpour in Guam, the airport had neither a crucial landing system to help guide planes nor a government-staffed control tower. In fact, the Guam airport is the only U.S. airport with a tower operated by privately hired workers to direct 747s and other large passenger planes. Pilots were notified July 7 that the glide slope equipment at Guam would be down for maintenance until September 12. The transmitter, which shows a pilot how far he is from the ground, is one of two principal components of an instrument landing system. The use of contract towers dates from 1982, beginning as an outgrowth of the air traffic controllers’ strike that was bested by President Reagan, and later expanded as a cost-cutting move. Out of 684 towers nationwide, according to the FAA, 125 are staffed by privately employed air traffic controllers rather than by FAA controllers.