Report: Abnormal ATC Staffing Conditions in Tower During D.C. Midair

Leaked FAA report suggests there was unusual staffing in air traffic control tower during airplane and helicopter crash.

Caleb Revill

Thursday, January 30, 2025 at 05:06 PM ET

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Edited By: tccjeremy

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport [Credit: Shutterstock/ TJ Brown]

Key Takeaways:

A deadly midair collision in Washington, D.C., involving a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and PSA Airlines Flight 5342, resulted in 67 fatalities.
A leaked internal report indicated "not normal" staffing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA) air traffic control tower during the incident, with one controller managing both helicopter and airplane traffic, tasks usually handled by two separate controllers.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the crash, with President Trump blaming FAA's DEI policies, while the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) expressed support for controllers and advocated for ATC system modernization.

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A leaked internal report said that staffing at the air traffic control (ATC) tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA) was “not normal” during the deadly midair collision in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night.

The New York Times reported that the controller who was directing helicopter traffic around the airport was also instructing airplanes. The report noted these jobs are typically assigned to two different controllers at the airport.