Two air traffic controllers are at the center of the latest developments related to the horrific Air Canada crash at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
Fresh details have emerged as investigators still piece together what happened inside the air traffic control tower on March 22, the night where Air Canada’s Flight 8646 slammed into a fire truck on the runway.
Two pilots lost their lives and several others were injured during the incident.
Two air traffic controllers are at the center of the latest developments related to the horrific Air Canada crash at LaGuardia Airport
Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images
On the ill-fated night, LaGuardia Airport was scrambling to deal with more than twice its typical traffic volumes due to rain and thunderstorms.
Authorities revealed that two air traffic controllers were in the tower when the plane crashed into the truck just before midnight.
The firetruck was on the runway, responding to an issue with a completely different plane at the time.
“Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop,” a panicking controller was heard saying moments before the collision.
“Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop,” a controller said in panic moments before the collision
Pilots Antoine Forest and Mackenzie Gunther lost their lives, while dozens of others were injured, including two firefighters inside the fire truck.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is moving towards firing two air traffic controllers, who were employed at LaGuardia Airport during the fatal crash.
Antoine Forest, Seneca Polytechnic
The two controllers reportedly left work about an hour before their shifts officially came to an end.
Because of this, the remaining two controllers were left alone to deal with the heavy load that night, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke to The Wall Street Journal.
Controllers admitted to Reuters that the workload that night was busy.
They also said that normally, additional controllers would be brought in to share the load.
The two controllers reportedly left work about an hour before their shifts officially came to an end
Sometimes, controllers might stay beyond their shift’s normal end time to manage the heavier-than-scheduled number of arriving and departing flights.
Following the crash, questions about staffing shortages among air traffic controllers have been raised.
Officials are also using the opportunity to clamp down on timecard fraud, which includes an “early shove.”
An “early shove” refers to the long-standing practice of leaving early, current and former controllers told the outlet.
The practice sees managers allowing controllers to leave, especially when the only thing remaining on their schedule is a break.
While this is considered an informal perk after busy periods on the job, FAA officials are viewing this as timecard fraud.
The agency also said controllers might still be needed to work during emergency situations, even if they are on breaks.
An “early shove” refers to the long-standing practice of leaving early
In recent months, the Trump administration has been more aggressive with their approach, thus leading to a nationwide push by the FAA to crack down on employees going on breaks at the end of their shift and not returning.
More than 10 controllers have been fired by the FAA this year for alleged timecard fraud or misusing their leave policies.
They are also firing the two LaGuardia Airport controllers over the Air Canada crash in March.
The FAA said it is “committed to holding employees accountable” and won’t compromise on the “safety or efficiency of the National Airspace System.”
Reports revealed that 2,000 controllers were hired this year, which is about 94 percent of its hiring target for the year 2026, aimed at reducing staffing shortage.
“The vast majority of air-traffic controllers are great patriots—they show up for work, complete their full shift, and come back and do it all again,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement to the paper.
“But when a small percentage of individuals take advantage of the American taxpayer, unfairly add additional work to their fellow controllers, and impact the airspace—we have no choice but to act. We will not tolerate fraud.”
Authorities are taking the necessary action to “hold folks accountable and prevent unlawful practices”
Duffy said authorities are taking the necessary action to “hold folks accountable and prevent unlawful practices from disrupting the traveling public.”
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association also said it was looking into these fraud allegations.
They also said one must not ignore the “extraordinary dedication of the thousands of air-traffic controllers who report to work every day.”
These controllers show up under “extremely challenging staffing conditions” and are focused on keeping fliers safe, they added.
“Billionaires putting the blame on anyone but themselves!” one commented online
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