FAA investigates two LaGuardia controllers who left shift early before fatal crash

Two air traffic controllers at New York’s LaGuardia Airport are under investigation for leaving their shift roughly an hour before an Air Canada regional jet struck a fire-truck convoy on the runway, killing the aircraft’s two pilots. A government official familiar with the probe said the controllers were scheduled to work past the time of the crash and that their early departure left only two controllers in the tower to manage a surge of flights and an emergency on the ground. The Federal Aviation Administration is considering disciplinary action that could include termination, the official added.

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said it is discussing the allegations with FAA leadership. Industry experts noted that leaving early when a required break coincides with the end of a shift—sometimes called an “early shove”—is a common practice, though the FAA is negotiating a new contract that may address scheduling.

"None of that excuses the issue about when you get paid for eight hours, you’re supposed to be there for eight hours. Seven and a half doesn’t count," said former FAA official Tom Linter, who previously worked as a LaGuardia controller.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the early departures "timecard fraud" and said the agency would not tolerate the behavior.

The National Transportation Safety Board declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation. Preliminary findings indicate that staffing levels in the tower were low when the crash occurred around 11:45 p.m. on March 22, and that a lack of a transponder on the fire truck prevented the surface-monitoring system from detecting a potential conflict with the landing plane.

The Air Canada CRJ900 was carrying 76 occupants; pilots Antoine Forest, 30, and Mackenzie Gunther, 24, were the only fatalities. Thirty-nine passengers were hospitalized, six seriously, while two fire-truck crew members were released after treatment. The incident marked the first fatal crash at LaGuardia in 34 years.

LaGuardia experienced unusually high traffic that night due to weather-related delays, with arrivals and departures more than double the scheduled volume after 10 p.m., according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.