The union representing American air traffic controllers has acknowledged allegations that two members left work early shortly before an Air Canada regional jet crashed at LaGuardia Airport in March, killing two pilots.
U.S. media reports suggest the Federal Aviation Administration is looking to fire the two flight controllers, who allegedly clocked out roughly an hour before their shift ended, leaving a pair of colleagues at the LaGuardia tower without backup.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association confirmed the allegations, first reported by the Wall Street Journal on Thursday, in an emailed statement.
“NATCA is actively discussing these allegations with FAA leadership. We believe those discussions are the appropriate forum for addressing the matter,” the union said.
Get breaking National news
The U.S. federal agency has not addressed the accusations directly but said it is “committed to holding employees accountable.”
“We will not compromise the safety or efficiency of the National Airspace System,” the FAA said in an email.
Shortly after 11:30 p.m. on March 22, an air traffic controller cleared an Air Canada Express plane to land less than two minutes before green-lighting a fire truck to cross the active runway. The resulting collision left two Canadian aviators dead and sent more than 40 people to hospital.
- Peter Pocklington’s former mansion on City of Edmonton’s auction list: ‘It’s iconic’
- Canada recruits dozens of foreign scientists and researchers, many from U.S.
- B.C. couple missing after catastrophic flash flooding on Nepal-Tibet border
- Partial lunar eclipse will be visible across parts of Canadian skies soon
Footage shows the jet speeding along the rain-streaked strip as the truck crosses its path, veering away too late from an impact that unleashed a trail of smoke and debris as the plane skidded more than 100 metres farther, its cockpit obliterated.
The controller recognized the danger moments beforehand, instructing the truck to “stop” — 12 times in 10 seconds — but receiving no reply.
A preliminary report from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board in April found that system failures and communication issues played a key role in the accident.
Experts have praised the pilots — Quebecer Antoine Forest and Ontarian MacKenzie Gunther, who flew for Air Canada Express carrier Jazz Aviation — for their quick braking that likely saved lives.
Probably a couple of entitled DEI hires.
Anonymous….In Feb 2025, both the DOT and FAA confirmed that NO ATC or critical front line workers were laid off by Trump after the DOGE investigation. Do some research and stop lying.
Jail time would be just.
Not the job for just anyone off the street
After DOGE, Trump laid hundreds of FAA personnel off.
Typical simple servants, half a days work for a days pay LoL
I’m hoping that these missing controllers are charged with something criminal — criminal negligence at a minimum.
Air traffic controllers are like 911 operators, you cant just get up and leave your job or people will die. These two idiots left those pilots blind and are responsible for what happened to them. Both employees should be facing prison time for negligence causing fatal injury and substantial damage to property.