FAA Moves to Fire Two Controllers Over LaGuardia Crash

The Federal Aviation Administration has begun proceedings to dismiss two air traffic controllers at New York's LaGuardia Airport who are believed to have left their posts early before the March 22 collision between an Air Canada regional jet and a Port Authority fire truck. A source familiar with the matter told Reuters the agency is moving to fire the controllers, a step that follows months of investigation into the crash that killed both pilots and two fire truck officers and injured about 40 passengers and crew members. The National Transportation Safety Board has described the moments leading up to the crash in detail.

One of only two controllers on duty cleared the fire truck to cross the runway just 12 seconds before the Air Canada flight touched down, leaving little time to avoid the impact. Investigators have also examined whether a runway warning system failed to alert the possibility of a crash, and whether the fire truck heard the controller's last-second pleas to stop. Audio released after the incident captured a controller saying, "I messed up," while other reports have looked into whether a controller used an emergency phone immediately before the crash.

The NTSB has cautioned against pointing fingers at controllers, noting the heavy workload environment during a late-night emergency involving another plane. The collision occurred when the Air Canada flight, traveling from Montreal, struck the fire truck while landing. The fire truck had been given permission to respond to a separate incident aboard a United Airlines flight whose pilot reported an issue with odor.

The impact crushed the regional jet's nose and left the fire truck flipped onto its side.