A document reviewed by Reuters indicates that air traffic controller staffing at LaGuardia Airport on the night of the Air Canada jet collision may have breached the facility’s established procedures.

Specifically, the alleged violation involves the combining of air traffic control roles before the midnight threshold. The incident occurred at approximately 11:37 p.m. ET on March 22, resulting in the deaths of both pilots.

Investigation Focuses on Controller Workload and Staffing

This tragic accident has reignited national concerns regarding persistent air traffic control staffing shortages across the United States. Several controllers nationwide report that these shortages, even at supervisory levels, force controllers into combined roles handling both local air and ground traffic more frequently.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed last week that it is seeking detailed information regarding the specific duties performed by each controller during the crash investigation.

Inconsistency with Standard Operating Procedures

If the controller involved in the collision was simultaneously managing both air and ground duties, this action would contradict LaGuardia tower’s standard operating procedures (SOPs).

An NTSB report concerning a 1997 collision at LaGuardia referenced new procedures implemented afterward. These procedures mandated that “local and ground positions shall not be combined prior to” midnight at the New York facility.

According to a 2023 LaGuardia Tower SOP document seen by Reuters, this rule remained in effect. The document states: “Positions at LaGuardia Tower are not to be consolidated to one position prior to midnight local time or 90 minutes after the start of the shift, whichever is later.”

Sources familiar with the matter confirmed this 2023 guidance remained current in 2026. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated it “supports the NTSB on accident investigations and takes any necessary safety actions based on the evidence.”

Unclear Distribution of Controller Duties

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy informed reporters last week that two controllers were operational in the tower's glass-enclosed section during the accident.

She detailed that one local controller managed active runways and immediate airspace, while a controller-in-charge handled departure clearances for pilots. However, clarity on the ground controller duties remains elusive.

Conflicting Information on Ground Control

Chair Homendy noted, “It is not clear who was conducting the duties of the ground controller. We have conflicting information.” The ground controller position typically manages all aircraft and vehicle movements on taxiways, excluding active runways.

Based on audio posted on LiveATC.net, multiple current and retired controllers expressed belief that the local controller was also managing ground traffic. The NTSB has not yet issued a comment on this specific aspect.

Traffic Volume and Timing of Role Consolidation

The controller-in-charge, responsible for operational safety, signed in at 10:30 p.m., followed by the local controller at 10:45 p.m., according to Homendy.

The SOP document clearly dictates that the local and ground positions should not have been combined before midnight at the earliest. Furthermore, consolidation should only occur if traffic volume warrants it, and positions must be de-combined as traffic increases.

Data from Cirium indicated that weather delays caused 70 commercial flights to take off or land between 10 p.m. and 11:37 p.m. This significantly exceeded the average of 53 flights during the same period since 2022.

Several controllers interviewed by Reuters described the workload that night as heavy. They suggested that additional staff would typically be brought in or current staff would remain past their shifts to manage such high flight volumes.

A current New York-area controller, speaking anonymously, asserted that the local and ground positions should have remained separate until at least midnight. He added, “And that is not even talking about the traffic, volume and complexity that night.”