Federal investigators are reviewing air traffic control operations at Reagan National Airport after a midair collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet killed 67 people Wednesday night. A preliminary report obtained by The New York Times has revealed that the airport’s control tower was operating with reduced staffing at the time of the crash.
FAA guidelines require two controllers to manage both helicopter and airplane traffic separately, yet only one was assigned to both duties when the accident occurred. The report states that a supervisor merged the roles and allowed another controller to leave early, despite ongoing air traffic in the area. This change took place before the standard 9:30 p.m. shift transition.
Tower at Reagan has been understaffed for years with only 19 of the 30 certified controllers the FAA calls for. pic.twitter.com/d0GQX4Qtfr
— SUPER DEPLORABLE ULTRA ☢️ NUCLEAR ☢️ KING MAGA Mat (@UltraMAGAMat) January 30, 2025
The crash happened just before 9 p.m. when the passenger jet, arriving from Wichita, Kansas, was descending toward Reagan National. The aircraft, carrying members of the U.S. Figure Skating team, was struck by a military helicopter conducting a nighttime training flight from Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Both aircraft fell into the Potomac River, where emergency crews continue recovery efforts.
The FAA was below DEI quotas for ATC’s at Reagan Airport control tower.
Last night the tower was only 2/3 staffed.
I’ll say it.
Rather than hiring white guys to fill openings they chose to be understaffed. pic.twitter.com/TeH4slRviR
— Grumpy Grandpa 🇺🇸 (@GmbPhoenix) January 31, 2025
For years, Reagan National has struggled with staffing shortages. According to the FAA report, the control tower currently has 19 fully certified controllers, significantly fewer than the 30 required for safe operations. Previous assessments had identified this issue, yet the problem remained unresolved.
Incredible clip from March of 2023 on aviation close calls. Buttigieg talked about the rise in close calls at a summit. He's good at talking, it's the doing he struggles with.
Recommendations not being followed. Extremely understaffed. It was just a matter of time. pic.twitter.com/gmvMlULArR
— MAZE (@mazemoore) January 31, 2025
The NYT reports that air traffic controllers have been sleeping, drinking, and getting high on the job. Some have even been violent at the workplace.
Many ATCs are simply unqualified. It isn't just that they're understaffed! pic.twitter.com/PAd5oQYYsv
— Patrick Casey (@restoreorderusa) January 30, 2025
Authorities have recovered black box recordings from both aircraft and are analyzing the data. Investigators are expected to determine whether communication failures contributed to the crash. Recovery teams have so far located dozens of victims in the river, with more searches scheduled.
Understaffed for years…. pic.twitter.com/aYZ82vEo9G
— Chris Miller (@chrismiller88) January 31, 2025
Following the tragedy, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing a review of aviation safety and hiring policies, citing concerns over systemic issues within the FAA.
