FAA Air Traffic Control Staffing Under Scrutiny After LaGuardia Runway Crash

A serious incident at LaGuardia Airport has raised alarms regarding air traffic control staffing. An Air Canada Express jet landed on Runway 4 and crashed into a Port Authority fire truck just before midnight, tragically resulting in the deaths of two pilots and injuring several passengers. Audio from air traffic control revealed a controller acknowledging a “failure,” which has prompted the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to initiate a thorough investigation into human factors, operating procedures, and runway safety measures.

In another alarming event, two planes narrowly avoided a collision while approaching John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Monday. According to flight tracking data, the planes were estimated to have been about 500 vertical feet apart. This incident came on the heels of a separate plane crash in New Jersey, where a landing aircraft struck a utility pole, causing damage to a bakery truck. Thankfully, no injuries were reported there either.

As reported by ABC7, air traffic control communicated alerts to pilots from Delta Air Lines, operated by Endeavor Airlines, about a small aircraft flying at a low altitude. Data supplied by Flightradar24 indicated that the Endeavor plane was flying at approximately 2,100 feet while the smaller Cirrus aircraft was at about 2,575 feet, thus maintaining a vertical separation of nearly 475 feet.

The Federal Aviation Administration stated that Endeavor Flight 5289 was in its final approach to Runway 22L around 5:15 p.m. when the Cirrus crossed overhead, preparing to land on Runway 22R. Both pilots reported visibility of one another during the traffic advisories issued by air traffic control, and the FAA maintained that the proper separation was upheld.

Additionally, it was noted that the Endeavor pilot remarked to air traffic control that they had received a traffic advisory followed by a resolution advisory from their collision avoidance system.

The interaction between the controller and the flight crew was recorded, highlighting the gravity of the situation. The controller informed, “Endeavor 5289, yes, we are not talking to him. He is now 500 feet above you…” and the pilot acknowledged, indicating the Cirrus had just flown directly overhead.

The latest event at JFK is simply part of an increasing trend of close calls that have been drawing scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers alike. Just the day before, a United Airlines flight, on its way from Venice, Italy, to Newark Liberty International Airport, crashed into a utility pole during its descent without causing injury to passengers or crew.

Last month, a similar incident occurred at JFK when two passenger planes approached the airport too closely, triggering an in-flight collision warning and subsequently leading to a federal investigation. In that case, Republic Airways Flight 4464 flew too close to Air Canada Express Flight 8554, which had to perform a go-around.