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Air Traffic Control · Airport Operations · Aviation Safety · NTSB Investigation
U.S. authorities are scrutinizing air-traffic control staffing at New York's LaGuardia Airport following a deadly collision on Sunday evening where an Air Canada Express jet, operated by Jazz Aviation, slammed into a fire truck on a runway, killing two pilots and injuring dozens of passengers.
U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy stated investigators received conflicting information regarding the number of certified professional controllers on site and are verifying logs and conducting interviews. Two controllers, a local controller and a controller in charge, were working the midnight shift in the tower cab, which is standard operating procedure for LaGuardia.
The controller in charge was also performing clearance delivery duties, but the NTSB is clarifying who handled ground control. Homendy emphasized that there is no indication of fatigue as a factor, despite past NTSB concerns about midnight shifts.
The NTSB will determine if staffing levels contributed to the incident, which occurred early in the controllers' eight-hour shifts. Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti suggests the crash will prompt questions about the adequacy of two controllers for overnight shifts at major airports.
The runway remains closed, impacting operations at the New York region's third busiest airport.
