Supervisor let air traffic controller leave shift early before DC plane crash: report
By Patrick Reilly
Published Jan. 31, 2025, 10:04 a.m. ET
A supervisor at the Reagan National Airport tower reportedly let an air traffic controller leave early from his shift shortly before Wednesday night’s deadly collision over the Potomac River.
As a result, a single controller was handling the air traffic of both airplanes and helicopters flying in the area, a source familiar with the investigation told NBC News.
One controller is typically in charge of helicopters while another watches over airplanes. The FAA said Thursday that one air traffic controller was doing the job of two people at the time of the devastating crash.
According to radio transmissions from Wednesday night, the lone controller warned the US Army Black Hawk that it was getting too close to the American Airlines passenger flight, which the experienced helicopter pilot acknowledged.
Experts believe the helicopter pilot may have maneuvered to avoid the wrong plane — a jet of the same model that was taking off farther away — and never saw the American Airlines flight until it was too late.
The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating whether the chopper was flying too high.
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