The Federal Aviation Administration is seeking to fire two air traffic controllers who left New York’s LaGuardia Airport tower before the end of their shifts on the night of a fatal collision involving an Air Canada Express CRJ-900.
The two controllers departed about an hour early on March 22 but remained recorded as working, according to an FAA investigation first reported by the Wall Street Journal. The practice is informally known among controllers as an “early shove.”
Follow Air Data News: WhatsApp | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook
The departures left two controllers in the tower. One of them was handling two positions when the Air Canada Express aircraft approached LaGuardia, while the other was occupied with a separate emergency, according to the Wall Street Journal, which cited people familiar with the investigation.
The two controllers who left early provided additional coverage rather than the normal minimum staffing for that time of night, ABC News reported.
The FAA has not said that their absence contributed to the accident. The National Transportation Safety Board continues to investigate the collision and has not determined its probable cause.
Reuters independently confirmed that the FAA is taking steps to dismiss the two controllers. The agency declined to discuss individual personnel matters but said employees would be held accountable for conduct that compromises the safety or efficiency of the US airspace system.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said it was discussing the allegations with FAA management.
Air Canada Express Flight 8646, operated by Jazz Aviation, was arriving from Montreal when the CRJ-900 collided with an airport fire truck on Runway 4 at about 11:37 p.m. on March 22.
Both pilots were killed. The aircraft carried 72 passengers and two flight attendants, while the fire truck had two occupants. Thirty-nine people were taken to hospitals, including six who suffered serious injuries, according to the NTSB.
The airport rescue vehicle, identified as Rescue 35, was an Oshkosh Striker 1500. It was on the runway when the CRJ-900 landed and struck it. The collision severely damaged the aircraft’s cockpit.
The Wall Street Journal reported that operations at LaGuardia had been complicated by weather-related delays that night and that the tower was handling roughly twice its usual traffic. Investigators are examining staffing and other circumstances surrounding the accident.
The FAA investigation into the controllers is also part of a wider effort by the agency to address alleged time and attendance violations. More than 10 controllers have faced action this year over suspected time or leave abuses, according to the Wall Street Journal.
