2 LaGuardia air traffic controllers left work an hour early before deadly crash
- Two air traffic controllers at LaGuardia Airport left the tower approximately one hour early on March 22, when an Air Canada jet collided with a fire truck on the runway, killing both pilots.
- With the controllers absent, only two people remained in the tower to manage an unusual surge of flights while handling an emergency involving another aircraft on the ground.
- The FAA is pursuing disciplinary action against the two controllers, potentially including termination, for leaving before the end of their scheduled shifts.
- The incident has reignited debate over the practice of 'early shove,' where controllers leave when a required break falls at the end of a shift, described as common nationwide.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy characterized early departures as timecard fraud, stating controllers paid for eight hours must work the full shift.
Two air traffic controllers at New York's LaGuardia Airport left their posts approximately one hour early on March 22, the night an Air Canada jet collided with a fire truck on the runway, killing both pilots. According to a government official familiar with the ongoing National Transportation Safety Board investigation, the FAA is pursuing disciplinary action against the two controllers, potentially including termination. The official noted that because the controllers left early, only two people remained in the tower to manage an unusual surge of flights while simultaneously handling an emergency involving another aircraft on the ground.
The controllers who departed were scheduled to remain at the airport past the time of the crash and could have provided crucial backup support had they stayed. Their early departure has reignited scrutiny over a widespread practice known as an 'early shove,' where air traffic controllers leave when a required break falls at the end of their shift. Experts and retired officials indicated this practice is common across the nation, though the FAA is now treating it as a serious violation.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy characterized the early departures as timecard fraud, stating that controllers paid for eight hours of work must complete their full shifts. The FAA is simultaneously negotiating a new contract with the air traffic controllers union and hopes to implement a new scheduling model. The NTSB investigation into the crash is expected to continue into next year, with investigators examining multiple factors including tower staffing levels.
拉瓜迪亚机场两名空管人员在致命坠机前提前一小时下班
纽约拉瓜迪亚机场的两名空管人员在3月22日晚间提前约一小时离开塔台，当晚一架加拿大航空飞机与跑道上的消防车相撞，造成两名飞行员丧生。根据熟悉正在进行的国家运输安全委员会调查的政府官员透露，美国联邦航空局正对这两名空管人员采取纪律处分，包括可能的解雇。该官员指出，由于这两人提前离职，塔台仅剩两人需要应对异常繁忙的航班流量，同时还要处理地面另一架飞机的紧急情况。
离职的空管人员原定要在坠机时间之后才能离开，如果他们留守，本可在塔台繁忙时提供关键的备份支持。他们的提前离职重新引发了对一种广泛存在的做法的审视，即所谓的'提前班次'，空管人员在班次末尾的必需休息时间到来时离职。专家和退休官员表示这种做法在全国范围内普遍，但美国联邦航空局现在将其视为严重违规。
运输部长肖恩·达菲将提前离职定性为考勤欺诈，声称领取八小时薪酬的空管人员必须完成全部班次。美国联邦航空局同时正在与空管人员工会谈判新合同，并希望实施新的排班模式。国家运输安全委员会对该坠机事件的调查预计将持续到明年，调查人员正在审查包括塔台人员配置在内的多个因素。