Controllers Clock Out Before Crash | New York City News

A plane crash at LaGuardia in March that killed both pilots and injured dozens was linked to two air traffic controllers who clocked out an hour early — a violation deemed “timecard fraud” despite being common due to staffing shortages. The FAA now seeks to fire them, as the NTSB found one controller was juggling both ground and air traffic — a dangerous breach of protocol, especially after a similar incident in 1997 that led to strict rules against combining roles before midnight. Compounding the chaos, the second controller was handling another emergency involving a smoking cockpit. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy condemned the fraud, emphasizing accountability, while union talks with the FAA are underway. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/8d2bb6c06c7316e8