At Washington airport, an air traffic controller was operating both airplanes and helicopters simultaneously when a tragic accident occurred, resulting in the death of 67 people. This happened because a supervisor allowed their colleague to leave their shift early, according to sources close to the investigation revealed to NBC News.
The usual practice in the Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) tower in the U.S. capital is for one controller to handle airplanes and another to handle helicopters. However, at the time of the collision between a commercial airplane and a military helicopter, only one controller was on duty, making the task doubly demanding.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) allows a single controller to be responsible for both tasks, although it is not considered optimal in terms of air safety, according to NBC News.
In response to this tragic event, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order to review hiring and protocols under the previous administration of Joe Biden. The hypothesis was raised that these changes may have contributed to the air accident in Washington.
The collision occurred when an American Airlines plane, en route from Wichita (Kansas) to Washington, was approaching the capital airport. The aircraft was carrying 64 people, including passengers and crew, while three soldiers were on the military helicopter. Both vehicles fell into the cold waters of the Potomac River.
Rescue efforts have been intense, recovering 41 bodies so far out of the 67 victims. Authorities have ruled out the possibility of finding survivors among those affected by this tragic event.
