Report Reveals Single Controller Handling Task Meant for Two
Washington: Preliminary investigations into the collision between a passenger plane and a military aircraft in the U.S. have revealed that the control tower at Ronald Reagan Airport was facing a staffing shortage.
According to U.S. media reports, a task that typically requires two air traffic controllers was being handled by just one. It was also discovered that the passenger plane’s pilot was given last-minute instructions to change the runway. The pilots complied, and once clearance was issued, the aircraft was redirected toward a smaller runway.
At the time of the accident, weather conditions were clear. Thirty seconds before the crash, the air traffic controller asked the Black Hawk helicopter pilot if he could see the approaching passenger plane. Moments later, the helicopter was instructed to let the passenger aircraft pass before proceeding. However, the helicopter pilot did not respond, and within seconds, it collided with the American Airlines jet.
Further findings indicate that approximately 2,400 feet from the runway, the passenger plane’s radio transponder stopped transmitting signals while the aircraft was flying over the Potomac River.
The incident has raised serious concerns about the airport staff’s efficiency, especially since a similar landing issue was reported at the same airport just a day earlier.
All 60 passengers and four crew members aboard the ill-fated American Airlines flight were declared deceased, along with three personnel in the Black Hawk helicopter. The wreckage of the passenger aircraft, which had broken into three pieces, was retrieved from the shallow waters of the Potomac River, though not all victims’ bodies have been recovered.
Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump has blamed the Washington air disaster on ex-President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party. During a speech at the White House, Trump—without presenting any evidence—claimed that hiring practices within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) could have contributed to the accident.
