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LaGuardia controller staffing may have violated procedures on night of collision, document shows
Investigators examine whether combining controller roles before midnight at LaGuardia Airport breached procedures amid staffing shortages and heavy traffic delays, with 70 flights handled that night.
- On March 22, LaGuardia Tower controllers may have violated standard operating procedures by combining local and ground positions before midnight during an Air Canada Express crash that killed both pilots.
- A 1997 National Transportation Safety Board report mandated that "local and ground positions shall not be combined prior to" midnight after a collision, establishing a safety rule confirmed in LaGuardia Tower Standard Operating Procedures through 2023.
- Weather-Related delays resulted in 70 commercial flights between 10 p.m. and 11:37 p.m., exceeding the 53-flight average since 2022, while controllers described the night's "traffic, volume and complexity" as notably demanding.
- NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy reported conflicting information on which controller performed ground duties, prompting investigators to determine if procedural violations occurred during the high-traffic shift.
- The probe aims to determine if staffing shortages contributed to the fatal collision, with findings potentially informing The Federal Aviation Administration policy changes regarding tower controller consolidation procedures.
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Staffers may have violated procedure night of deadly LaGuardia plane collision
Investigators of the deadly plane collision at LaGuardia on March 22nd are looking into multiple issues, including air traffic staffing and duties. An NTSB report from 1997 shows controllers may have violated longtime procedures.
·New York, United States
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LaGuardia air traffic control staffing might have violated procedures night of Air Canada collision
Air traffic controller staffing at LaGuardia airport on the night an Air Canada jet collided with a fire truck may have violated the facility's procedures by combining roles before midnight, according to a document seen
·Canada
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources24
Leaning Left2Leaning Right6Center9Last UpdatedBias Distribution53% Center
Bias Distribution
- 53% of the sources are Center
53% Center
12%
C 53%
R 35%
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