The AP obtained an internal preliminary report from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which reportedly showed that the number of staff members working at the air control tower at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, was “not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic.”
On Wednesday night, an American Airlines plane and Army helicopter collided near Reagan National Airport outside of Washington, D.C., and all 67 people onboard both aircraft are deceased.
FAA report highlights air traffic control staffing: Staffing was “not normal” in the air traffic control tower at the time of the crash, according to an FAA report obtained by the AP.
The Associated Press obtained a report that showed one air traffic controller was working two positions at the time of the crash.
Typically, the two assignments are split between two air traffic controllers, not just one.
The air control tower at Reagan Airport has been understaffed for years, with 19 fully certified controllers as of September 2023. However, the FAA set staffing targets and the controllers’ union called for 30.
Maybe they should start hiring white men again.
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