US EditionControllers say LaGuardia needed more staff on busy night of Air Canada collision
Controllers managing a late-night emergency at LaGuardia reported staffing shortages during the runway collision involving an Air Canada jet and a fire truck.
- On Sunday, March 22, an Air Canada Express flight collided with a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport in New York, killing two pilots. The truck was crossing the runway to investigate an unusual odor reported by another aircraft.
- Weather-Related delays caused 70 commercial flights to operate after 10 p.m., more than double the 31 scheduled, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium. This heavier-than-normal traffic volume strained controllers during the midnight shift.
- National Transportation Safety Board investigators are examining whether two controllers working in the tower cab should have been supplemented during heavy traffic. Agency Chair Jennifer Homendy confirmed two-controller staffing is standard procedure but questioned if it remains appropriate for busy periods.
- Audio recordings captured a controller admitting, "I messed up," as investigators analyze whether ground and local traffic duties were combined. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated LaGuardia has 33 certified controllers against a target of 37.
- Industry analysts are questioning whether a "variable staffing model" should retain extra personnel during high-tempo periods. Former controller Richard Kennington argued that focusing on midnight shift staffing is a distraction, citing broader challenges in staffing day shifts.
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Runway incursions have increased by 45% over the past 10 years, warns the Transportation Safety Board, which believes it is "necessary to do more."
Inside the Air Canada crash at LaGuardia airport: How a deadly collision unfolded
The collision late Sunday night of an Air Canada Jazz jet with a fire truck on the runway at LaGuardia Airport in New York marked the first fatal crash at the airport in exactly 34 years and Air Canada’s first…
ANALYSIS | Were 2 enough? Experts question number of air traffic controllers during LaGuardia midnight shift
Following the deadly collision between an Air Canada jet and a fire truck on the runway at New York City's LaGuardia airport last week, concerns have been raised about whether there was adequate air traffic control staffing that night.
Controllers: LaGuardia Needed More Staff on Busy Night of Air Canada Collision
New York's LaGuardia airport was so busy last Sunday before an Air Canada jet collided with a fire truck that additional staff should have been brought in to help, several current and former U.S. air traffic controllers said.
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