FAA moves to dismiss two LaGuardia controllers who left shifts early before fatal collision

Federal dismissal proceedings and timecard review

The Federal Aviation Administration initiated formal proceedings to terminate two air traffic controllers at New York LaGuardia Airport who abandoned their positions prior to a fatal runway accident on 22 March 2026. Both employees departed roughly one hour before the conclusion of their scheduled work shifts, leaving the facility understaffed. The unapproved early departures fall under an informal practice known across air traffic facilities as early shoves, where personnel leave work early while receiving full compensation. Federal officials classify unrecorded departures as timecard fraud, prompting the Department of Transportation to broaden its inquiry into attendance records across national aviation facilities. LaGuardia serves as the third airport in the New York metropolitan area, handling 32.8 million passengers in 2025.

Staffing constraints during weather delays

The controllers departed during a period of heavy traffic congestion caused by daytime rain and thunderstorms that delayed arrivals and departures across the region. Flight data from FlightRadar24 indicated that flight movements after 23:00 continued at the same pace as daytime operations, forcing LaGuardia to manage more than twice its standard late-night traffic volume. While two controllers typically manage the control cab during light overnight periods at midsize airports, supervisors did not retain departing staff or summon additional personnel to handle the backlog. When the collision occurred at 23:37 local time, only two controllers remained in the tower cab to coordinate both airborne approaches and ground vehicle movements across active runways.

Runway collision and emergency response failures

The crash involved an Air Canada Express regional flight, operated by Jazz Aviation LP, arriving from Montreal with 72 passengers and four crew members. Upon touching down, the aircraft struck a Port Authority of New York and New Jersey fire truck crossing the runway to attend to a secondary emergency on a United Airlines plane. The collision killed both airline pilots and injured dozens of passengers, marking the first fatal accident at LaGuardia Airport since 1992. A preliminary investigative report published in April 2026 by the National Transportation Safety Board found that controllers cleared the fire truck to cross the runway while the aircraft was already on final approach. Moments before impact, a controller broadcast an instruction to stop, but the truck crew did not recognize that the call was directed at them, and the controller acknowledged the error to another pilot shortly afterward. Investigators also noted that the fire truck lacked an automatic tracking transponder to trigger visual collision warnings on tower radar displays.

Disciplinary actions and regulatory enforcement

Federal authorities suspended the two controllers while moving toward formal dismissal, with the National Transportation Safety Board expected to release its final investigation report before the close of 2026. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that the federal government will hold employees accountable for unauthorized workplace absences that compromise airspace operations.

We will not tolerate fraud, and we are taking appropriate action to hold folks accountable and prevent unlawful practices from disrupting the traveling public.

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association confirmed that union leadership is engaged in formal discussions with agency officials regarding the proposed dismissals, while the FAA maintains that safety standards will remain uncompromised.