FAA Report Confirms Reagan Airport Control Tower Was Short-Staffed During Fatal Collision

A preliminary investigation into the midair crash near Washington, D.C., has revealed that the air traffic control tower at Reagan National Airport was operating with fewer personnel than required at the time of the disaster. The collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and a commercial passenger jet claimed the lives of all 67 people on board both aircraft.

FAA procedures typically require two controllers to oversee air traffic—one for helicopters and another for commercial planes. However, an internal report indicates that only one controller was on duty Wednesday night after a supervisor merged the responsibilities and allowed another controller to leave early. The shift change was made before 9:30 p.m., even though air traffic was still active.

The accident happened just before 9 p.m. as an American Airlines regional jet, which had departed from Wichita, Kansas, was preparing to land. The aircraft, carrying members of the U.S. Figure Skating team, collided with a military helicopter conducting a training mission from Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Both aircraft crashed into the Potomac River, where recovery efforts continue.

The report also highlighted that Reagan National’s control tower has been operating below recommended staffing levels for years. The facility has just 19 fully certified controllers instead of the 30 required to handle the airport’s high volume of traffic. Despite previous warnings about understaffing, little action was taken to address the problem before the crash.

Investigators have retrieved the black boxes from both aircraft and are analyzing the data for further insight into the final moments before impact. Emergency teams have located dozens of bodies, with ongoing search operations expected to continue for days.

Following the crash, President Donald Trump issued an executive order mandating a federal review of FAA staffing and hiring policies. His administration has pointed to systemic failures in aviation oversight as a contributing factor to the tragedy.