Two air traffic controllers left work early the night an Air Canada regional jet collided with a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport, resulting in two fatalities, according to reports. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is pursuing termination of the two controllers who departed approximately one hour before their shifts ended on March 22, leaving two other controllers to manage more than double the usual traffic volume during the incident, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
On that night, the Air Canada regional jet struck the Port Authority fire truck while it was on the runway, leading to the deaths of the two pilots and injuries to 39 others on board. The two firefighters in the truck were also injured but survived and have since been placed on leave.
The practice of leaving early, known as an “early shove,” has been described as a longstanding industry custom, according to current and former controllers. Managers have occasionally permitted controllers to leave early if they have only a break remaining.
However, the FAA considers this practice a form of timecard fraud, arguing that controllers may still be required for emergencies even if they are on break. The agency has dismissed over 10 controllers for alleged timecard fraud or leave policy violations, indicating a stricter approach under the Trump administration, according to sources familiar with the situation.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated, “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. 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.”
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is continuing to investigate the cause of the March crash and the potential impact of tower staffing on the incident.
A firefighter in the truck involved in the collision reported hearing an air traffic controller say, “stop, stop, stop,” but was unclear about whom the warning was directed towards, according to the NTSB’s preliminary report. Additionally, a crash-prevention system failed to provide an audio or visual alert in the control tower, and the runway entrance lights remained illuminated for approximately three seconds before the collision occurred. The system is intended to deactivate the lights two or three seconds before a plane reaches an intersection.
The preliminary report also noted the absence of a transponder on the fire truck but did not determine if its presence could have prevented the collision. Without the transponder, LaGuardia’s automatic warning system could not correlate the descending Air Canada Express flight's track with the fire truck’s path.
In response to the crash, emergency vehicles at LaGuardia, JFK, and Newark airports will be equipped with new tracking devices, as stated by a Port Authority spokesperson. The FAA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.