Air traffic controller staffing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport may have violated established safety procedures on the night a fatal collision involving an Air Canada regional jet occurred, according to a document seen by Reuters.
The incident, which took place at around 11:37 p.m. on March 22 and killed both pilots, has renewed scrutiny of staffing levels and workload pressures on U.S. air traffic controllers.
Safety rules on controller roles may not have been followed
According to LaGuardia Tower procedures, local and ground controller positions are not supposed to be combined before midnight local time, except under specific conditions. The rule was introduced following a 1997 ground collision at the airport.
However, the document seen by Reuters indicates that the consolidation of roles may have taken place before the permitted time on the night of the crash.
The procedures state that positions may only be combined based on traffic demand and must be separated again if workload increases.
Investigation focuses on controller responsibilities
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating which controllers were performing specific duties at the time of the accident.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said two controllers were working in the tower at the time — one managing active runways and another acting as controller-in-charge, also issuing departure clearances.
However, she said it remains unclear who was handling ground traffic duties, noting that investigators have received conflicting accounts.
Staffing pressures and workload concerns
Multiple current and former controllers told Reuters that staffing shortages, including at supervisory level, often result in combined responsibilities for air and ground operations.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it supports the NTSB investigation and will take safety actions if required based on findings.
Controllers also pointed to heavy traffic conditions on the night of the crash, with 70 commercial flights recorded between 10 p.m. and 11:37 p.m., above the average for that time period in recent years.
Procedures linked to earlier safety reforms
The restriction on combining controller roles before midnight stems from procedural changes introduced after a 1997 collision at LaGuardia Airport. As of 2023, those rules remained in place and were still considered active in 2026, according to documents reviewed by Reuters.
