Two air traffic controllers left their posts roughly an hour early ahead of the fatal March 22 collision between an Air Canada flight and a fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, according to reports published by The Wall Street Journal. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is taking steps to fire the employees, though investigators have not formally linked the early departures to the runway crash that killed two pilots.
LaGuardia Tower Staffing and the March 22 Accident
The March 22 collision occurred at 23:40 on runway 4 when a Jazz Aviation CRJ-900 operated by Air Canada—flight 8646 arriving from Montreal with 72 passengers and 4 members of the crew—struck a rescue vehicle crossing its path. The impact killed pilots Antoine Forest and MacKenzie Gunther and injured several dozen people. At the time of the crash, in LaGuardia se gestionaba más del doble del tráfico usual. Surveillance footage captured the moment the aircraft hit the emergency vehicle, which lacked a transponder that would have automatically alerted controllers to a potential collision course, as noted in reports.
FAA Attendance Investigations and Disciplinary Actions
The FAA is pursuing terminations for the two LaGuardia controllers for abandoning posts before shift ends, according to reporting. An FAA spokesperson stated that the agency “is committed in responsabilizar a los empleados, y no comprometeremos la seguridad ni la eficiencia del Sistema Nacional del Espacio Aéreo”. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy defended the agency’s crackdown, asserting that the FAA must address abuses when employees abusan del sistema, sobrecargan a sus compañeros y pueden afectar las operaciones del espacio aéreo. Retired JFK air traffic controller Harvey Scolnick said that supervisors had long known about early departure habits without taking action.
Communication Failures and NTSB Findings
A preliminary NTSB report released in April detailed severe communication breakdowns and equipment hurdles during the incident. Controllers initially cleared the equipment del camión de bomberos to cross the runway while the Air Canada jet was already on approach. Seconds later, a controller issued an urgent “parar, parar, parar” command, but a firefighter on board stated he “no sabía a quién se dirigía el mensaje” until hearing “Camión 1, parar, parar, parar”. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy noted during a press conference that LaGuardia’s safety system no emitió ninguna alerta antes de la colisión mortal, “debido a la gran proximidad” de los dos transportes, while emphasizing ongoing concerns regarding night shift fatigue among tower personnel.
Did You Know?
Desde 1992 no se registraba ningún siniestro mortal en LaGuardia, el tercer aeródromo neoyorquino que acumuló 32,8 millones de usuarios en 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have investigators linked the early departures to the crash?
Actualmente, las pesquisas sobre los registros de presencia laboral y sobre el choque corren por vías separadas, sin que se haya confirmado todavía que las faltas de los dos agentes desencadenaran la catástrofe.
How many controllers were on duty when the collision happened?
Conforme a los datos preliminares aportados por la NTSB, dos operadores se encontraban en la torre a las 23:37 del día del suceso, instante en el que el vuelo de Air Canada obtuvo el permiso de aterrizaje mientras el vehículo contraincendios atravesaba la pista.
What role did equipment play in the runway collision?
The NTSB highlighted the absence of a transponder on the fire truck, which prevented automatic proximity alerts, alongside radio communication interference stemming from simultaneous responses to a separate airport emergency.
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