America has just witnessed a terrible aviation tragedy when a military Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines passenger plane in the airspace of Ronald Reagan Airport in Arlington, Virginia, near Washington D.C.
The horrific plane crash occurred on the evening of January 29 local time, taking the lives of all 64 people on board the civilian plane and 3 soldiers on the helicopter.
According to authorities, at 9 a.m., a Black Hawk helicopter flew into the landing path of Flight 5342 as it was preparing to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport. The horrific collision sent the plane plunging into the Potomac River, breaking into three pieces and flipping upside down. There were no survivors on either plane. At least 28 bodies were pulled from the water.
Experts are investigating what caused the two planes to collide. A preliminary internal FAA report revealed that the number of personnel working at Ronald Reagan Airport's air traffic control tower at the time of the crash was inconsistent with the traffic density and rush hour.
The Associated Press, which reviewed the report, found that only one air traffic controller was on duty at two key positions at the time of the crash. Normally, the two positions would be held by two separate controllers.
Despite the report of unusual staffing levels, an inside source told the AP that staffing levels at Reagan National Airport's control tower were normal on the evening of January 29.
The positions are often combined if controllers need to leave their desks for breaks or shift changes, the source said.
The air traffic control tower at Reagan National has been understaffed for years. As of September 2023, there were only 19 fully certified controllers, compared to the FAA and union goal of 30.
The FAA's air traffic controller shortage is not a new problem, not just at Reagan National Airport but at most air traffic control centers across the country.
Last year, Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle appeared on FOX Business Network's "The Claman Countdown" and warned that the shortage could cause serious problems over the summer if not addressed.
Biffle said technology could help improve air traffic control's performance in the long term, but manpower shortages — there are about 3,000 air traffic controllers short — remain a major cause of flight delays and cancellations.
The FAA's National Airspace System (NAS) safety review team, created in April 2023 after a series of near misses on runways at busy airports, determined that air traffic control shortages, limited funding and outdated technology were causing "a serious erosion of safety that urgently needs to be addressed."
The shortage is blamed on high turnover, budget constraints and other factors, with many air traffic controllers working 10-hour days, up to six days a week, according to the New York Times.
