Disturbing reports out of the U.S. say authorities knew DCA Reagan Airport was dangerously busy and understaffed, and failed to take proper action prior to the 28JAN mid-air crash that took 67 lives. But one well-known expert says the situation is far different in Canada.
The New York Times and other outlets are reporting that staffing at DCA was “not normal” at the time of the crash. The Times said it reviewed a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report that said only one air traffic controller was communicating with both helicopters and planes at the time of the crash.
“Those jobs are typically assigned to two people, not one,” The Times said, adding that DCA was one-third understaffed.
The American Airlines plane that was hit by a U.S. Army helicopter on 28JAN was just a few hundred feet from landing at DCA when it was hit, sending both aircraft spinning into the Potomac River.
USA Today reports the FAA “has repeatedly warned, including in June, that a shortage of air traffic controllers along the eastern seaboard has forced it to restrict the number of flights it can permit through the area.”
The newspaper reports that some experts, politicians and airport managers “have been warning for years of the risks posed by the crowded airspace and volume of flights” at DCA, which is very close to the White House and sees a mix of commercial and military aircraft on a daily basis.
It also said Congress last year forced it to add more daily flights despite the objections of airport authorities.
Canadian Press quotes Montreal-based aviation expert John Gradek as suggesting the DCA crash was predictable
Flying in and out of Washington D.C. is a complicated affair given multiple major airports, heliports and restricted air space that funnels traffic into narrow corridors.
“It’s probably the busiest runway in the U.S., and when you have that level of volume and you also have military flights that use airspace around D.C. it was an accident waiting to happen,” said Gradek, who teaches aviation management at McGill University.
There are concerns about a shortage of air traffic controllers in Canada. Earlier this month, the Globe and Mail said CAE, a company that makes flight simulators, is working to get more controllers trained for NAV Canada, which handles airport traffic control for the country.
“The need is very urgent,” a top CAE official told the Globe at the company’s training centre in Montreal.
Gradek said the lack of controllers in Canada is an issue, but that flight volumes are managed so they’re never overstretched, and that there could be limited placed on flight numbers at peak times due to a lack of staff.
There are also no airports in Canada that have anywhere near the volume of military flights that the D.C. area sees, reinforcing the unique circumstances of the crash, he told Canadian Press.
“It’s an aberration as far as I’m concerned,” Gradek said. “It’s not something that we should panic over at this point in time.”
The Canadian Press story said that, according to a United Nations report, Canada received a C grade on flight safety oversight in december 2023; down from an A+ almost two decades earlier “and far below most of its peers.”
In an email to Open Jaw, NAV CANADA said it’s important to be cautious when drawing parallels between Canadian and U.S. air traffic management systems.
“At NAV CANADA, safety is our foremost priority and serves as the foundation of every decision we make,” a spokesperson said. “Canada is recognized as having one of the safest air navigation systems globally, a distinction made possible by the expertise, dedication, and professionalism of our air traffic controllers and employees.
Open Jaw asked NAV Canada for more information about reports of air traffic controller shortages in Canada.
"NAV CANADA is taking decisive action on multiple fronts to strengthen our workforce," spokesperson Maryam Amini replied. "This includes executing aggressive recruitment campaigns and adapting our hiring and training models to align with evolving industry and market dynamics, as well as enhanced workforce scheduling, hiring experienced air traffic controllers, and leveraging temporary assignments.
"A key element of this strategy is our partnership with CAE, which will provide supplemental foundational training for Flight Service Specialists and Air Traffic Controllers," Amini said. "This collaboration will enable NAV CANADA to accelerate its staffing objectives by five years, significantly expanding our training capacity nationwide to meet growing demand.
"Through this agreement, 478 additional students will receive foundational training by 2028, alongside the nearly 500 students currently undergoing training at NAV CANADA facilities."
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump blames the crash on the Biden administration and DEI programs aimed at creating more diversity among air traffic controllers.
"The FAA is actively recruiting workers who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative spelled out on the agency's website," Trump said. He added that the program allowed for the hiring of people with hearing and vision issues as well as paralysis, epilepsy and "dwarfism."
His comments have, understandably, sparked outrage among large segments of the U.S. population.
