Two air traffic controllers left work early before fatal crash at New York's LaGuardia Airport

An investigation into a fatal March crash at New York's LaGuardia Airport has revealed that two air traffic controllers left their posts an hour before their scheduled shift ended. This premature departure left the control tower understaffed during a critical period.

The incident, which occurred on March 23, 2026, involved a collision between an Air Canada Express CRJ-900 passenger jet and a fire truck on the runway. The crash resulted in the deaths of two pilots.

According to The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, the controllers clocked out early, a practice known in the aviation industry as an "early shove." While sometimes considered an informal perk, it led to a situation where the tower was not adequately staffed for the volume of traffic, which was reportedly more than double the usual rate at the time.

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is committed to holding employees accountable and will not compromise the safety or efficiency of the national airspace system.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is reportedly seeking to dismiss the two controllers. An FAA spokesperson stated the agency is committed to holding employees accountable and will not compromise the safety or efficiency of the national airspace system.

Preliminary findings from an April report highlighted communication failures and a lack of proper equipment as contributing factors. A critical error involved air traffic controllers granting the fire truck permission to cross the runway while the jet was approaching. Although one controller realized the mistake seconds later and issued a "stop" command, it was unclear if the fire truck crew heard or understood the instruction. Furthermore, the fire truck lacked essential radio equipment that would have automatically alerted controllers to the impending collision.

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Stop, stop, stop.