Reports: One air traffic controller was doing work of two; Plane had to abort landing day earlier

by WorldTribune Staff, January 31, 2025 Real World News

A supervisor allowed an air traffic controller at DC’s Reagan National Airport to leave early on Wednesday, hours before the midair collision between an American Airlines flight and a military helicopter, reports say.

The helicopter was also reportedly at least half a mile off the approved flight path when it smashed into the plane carrying 64 people, according to reports / Public Domain

A single air traffic controller was left to handle the traffic of planes and helicopters flying over the airspace when two people would typically be monitoring both flight paths, sources told NBC.

The Federal Aviation Authority reportedly confirmed in a preliminary safety report of the crash that one controller was doing the job of two, according to The New York Times. Airplane and helicopter traffic is normally handled by two separate controllers until 9:30 p.m., but a supervisor allegedly merged the two jobs before the allotted changeover time, a source told the newspaper.

Staffing levels were “not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic” over the airspace, the report said, according to the outlet.

One day before the crash, a passenger plane was forced to abort its initial landing at Reagan National after a helicopter appeared in its flight path, according to airline officials and radar data.

On the evening of Jan. 29, the flight-tracking website FlightAware recorded that Republic Airways Flight 4514 bound for Reagan National had departed from Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut at 6:50 p.m. ET. Upon its first approach, about 7 p.m. ET, the airplane was seen on radar diverting from its scheduled course, turning west, circling around, and landing during a second attempt.

The plane reached an altitude of about 1,600 feet during its first descent, FlightAware shows. At the same time, the airline’s spokesperson confirmed audio and flight-tracking data showed the helicopter flew about 300 feet from the ground.

According to audio from LiveATC.net, while approaching runway 19, air traffic control warned the jet about a nearby helicopter.

FlightAware’s log shows the incident caused the flight’s landing to be delayed just under 10 minutes. The plane arrived at the gate at 8:16 p.m., according to the online site. No injuries were reported.

It was not immediately known whether the helicopter belonged to the military, a hospital, or was a private aircraft.

The near miss came one day before AA Flight 5342, carrying 60 passengers and four crewmembers, collided with a Black Hawk trying to land at Reagan National. The helicopter had three people on board. All are feared dead, officials said Thursday.

The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed Thursday that divers had recovered black boxes from AA Flight 5342.

During a news conference, NTSB member Todd Inman said the military helicopter was also equipped “with some form of recording.”


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