WASHINGTON D.C. – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has determined that the air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was not operating under normal staffing conditions at the time of the passenger plane and military helicopter collision on January 29th.
According to a preliminary safety report obtained by the New York Times (NYT), only one air traffic controller was on duty at the time of the accident, which occurred around 8:53 PM. This is a busy time for the airport, and standard procedure calls for two controllers to be on duty – one to manage helicopters and the other to handle passenger plane takeoffs and landings.
However, the report states that one controller had left early at the direction of a supervisor. While supervisors have discretion over scheduling, the reason for the early departure has not been disclosed. The NYT notes that having only one controller increases workload and complexity, as the controller must communicate simultaneously with both helicopter and passenger plane pilots, making it difficult for pilots to hear each other.
The Reagan National tower has reportedly suffered from chronic understaffing for years. A September 2023 congressional report revealed that the tower had only 19 controllers, far short of the FAA and controllers union's target of 30. The NYT reports that budget constraints have forced most controllers to work up to six days a week, 10 hours a day.
Recordings from the control tower reveal that the controller asked the military helicopter pilot about the passenger plane's location 30 seconds before the crash. According to CNN, the helicopter pilot responded to the controller's instruction to "pass behind the airliner," but 13 seconds later, the sound of a collision and the controller's scream were heard.
The FAA is conducting a full investigation into the accident to determine the exact cause.
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