LaGuardia Crash Raises Questions About Overnight Air Traffic Staffing

Staffing Under Scrutiny

The fatal crash at LaGuardia Airport last weekend has intensified debate over staffing at the nation’s air traffic control facilities, as investigators examine whether the overnight minimum of two controllers in the airport tower was sufficient.

Investigators found that only two workers were in the tower at 11:37 p.m. last Sunday when a landing Air Canada jet collided with a fire truck crossing the runway, killing the two pilots. It was not clear whether other controllers were on duty elsewhere in the facility.

Overnight Standard

At midsize airports such as LaGuardia, two controllers typically staff the overnight shift, which generally runs from about 10:30 p.m. to about 6:30 a.m. The arrangement is intended to ensure the tower is never empty if one controller becomes ill or needs a bathroom break.

LaGuardia operates under a noise-abatement curfew from midnight to 6 a.m., discouraging airlines from scheduling flights during that period. During the day, when traffic is much heavier, there are usually at least eight controllers on duty, according to former investigators and air traffic officials, though staffing levels vary by facility and shift.

Investigators Signal Possible Change

As investigators work to determine what led to the crash, the National Transportation Safety Board has indicated that the long-standing two-person overnight standard may need to be revisited.

“Our air traffic control team has stated that this is a problem, that this is a concern for them, for years,” Jennifer Homendy, the chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, told reporters this week.

The question of whether two overnight controllers are enough has now become a central issue in the broader investigation into the LaGuardia accident.