FAA to Fire Staffers Who Left Post Before Fatal Airport Crash

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has moved to terminate two air traffic controllers. They were found to have left their shift an hour early on the night a regional Air Canada jet crashed into a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport in March. This departure occurred despite the critical need for staffing.

This early departure, a practice known as an "early shove" due to chronic staffing shortages, is considered timecard fraud by the FAA. Secretary Sean Duffy stated that while most controllers are dedicated, the agency will not tolerate fraud that impacts air safety and the traveling public.

The crash on March 23 resulted in the deaths of the jet's two pilots and injured dozens of passengers. LaGuardia Airport experienced a shutdown exceeding 12 hours following the incident.

An NTSB preliminary report indicated that one air traffic controller was solely responsible for both ground and air traffic, a duty usually divided between two people. This followed a 1997 crash where controllers were prohibited from combining positions before midnight. The other controller on duty that night was occupied with a separate, urgent emergency involving a plane landing with smoke in its cockpit.