Air Traffic Controllers Left Tower an Hour Before Deadly Air Canada Crash at LaGuardia, WSJ Reports

Two air traffic controllers departed their posts approximately one hour before a fatal collision involving an Air Canada plane and a fire truck at New York's LaGuardia Airport in March, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. The controllers reportedly ended their work shift early, leaving the control tower with reduced staffing just before the incident that claimed the lives of two pilots.

Surveillance footage from March 22 captured the moment the aircraft collided with the rescue vehicle as it crossed the plane's path. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is reportedly initiating proceedings to dismiss the two controllers, according to the Journal, which cited sources close to the matter. LaGuardia was managing more than double its usual traffic volume when the accident occurred.

While investigators are still examining the accident, a preliminary report in April indicated communication failures and inadequate equipment as contributing factors. The report highlighted a critical error when air traffic controllers gave the fire truck's crew clearance to cross the runway despite the approaching aircraft. One controller realized the mistake seconds later and ordered the fire truck to stop, but one occupant of the vehicle reportedly did not know for whom the transmission was intended.

Another significant factor identified was the absence of a transponder on the fire truck. Such a device would have automatically alerted controllers to the potential collision course between the aircraft and the vehicle. This incident marked the first fatal accident at LaGuardia Airport since 1992.

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The agency is committed to holding employees accountable, and we will not compromise the safety or efficiency of the National Airspace System.