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2 NYC air traffic controllers left work early before crash, AP source says
AP News • • business
Key Points:
- Two air traffic controllers at LaGuardia Airport face potential firing for leaving their shifts about an hour early on the night of the March 22 Air Canada crash that killed both pilots, according to a government official.
- Their early departure left only two controllers to manage a surge of flights and an emergency on the ground, reducing critical backup during a busy period; the FAA is pursuing disciplinary action and calls the practice "timecard fraud."
- The crash involved an Air Canada regional jet colliding with a fire truck responding to an emergency on another plane, resulting in two pilot deaths and multiple injuries; the NTSB investigation is ongoing and expected to conclude next year.
- The fire truck lacked a transponder, preventing surface monitoring systems from detecting its position accurately, which contributed to the collision with the landing aircraft.
- LaGuardia was experiencing unusually high traffic due to weather delays that night, complicating air traffic control efforts amid the emergency response.
