FAA Report: Staffing At Reagan Control Tower Was Below Normal Standards

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The tragic plane crash at Reagan International Airport in Washington D.C. has people searching for answers while others play political gotcha games. But the fact is, mistakes were made. The FAA staffing at the Reagan control tower is one such issue.

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has the busiest runaway in the US, with an average of 819 takeoffs per day – which experts say likely contributed to Wednesday’s air disaster.

The airport – also known as DCA – also has two other runways, launching 62 flights an hour, according to a 2023 report by the Alexandria Times.

It is in proximity to two other airports, including international Washington Dulles, and various military bases which also launch large volumes of aircraft, making for crowded airspace where precision is key.

“DCA is one of the most demanding airports in the world. It also has what’s known as ‘helicopter alley’ with hundreds of police, military, news and rescue helicopters criss-crossing the Potomac River – it’s crazy out there,” Captain Ross “Rusty” Aimer, a retired United Airlines pilot and aviation expert, told The Post.

Nearly 900 takeoffs a day is a LOT, and leads one to believe that there are nearly that same number of landings! 

Which creates a high stress environment for the folks manning the control tower and herding airplanes through the landing and takeoff process. So one would assume that a very significant airport in Washington D.C. would be fully manned at all times, right? The FAA report says otherwise. 

Staffing at the air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan National Airport was “not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic,” according to an internal preliminary Federal Aviation Administration safety report about the collision that was reviewed by The New York Times.

The controller who was handling helicopters in the airport’s vicinity Wednesday night was also instructing planes that were landing and departing from its runways. Those jobs typically are assigned to two controllers, rather than one.

~Snip

Like most of the country’s air traffic control facilities, the tower at Reagan airport has been understaffed for years. The tower there was nearly a third below targeted staff levels, with 19 fully certified controllers as of September 2023, according to the most recent Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan, an annual report to Congress that contains target and actual staffing levels. The targets set by the F.A.A. and the controllers’ union call for 30.

It’s true, the FAA has been needing more controllers for years, if not decades. And they keep trying to hire people. Except for one problem. Asinine government regulations and a Secretary of Transportation (Hi Pete Buttigieg!) who spent most of the last four years AWOL, hindered the FAA from hiring qualified people. 

Just one year ago I wrote about the FAA’s new hiring stance. Literally the FAA, because of DEI regulations, issued hiring notices for people with major mental/intellectual disabilities, psych problems, and other physical issues. Not one single one of those folks would or should be qualified as an air traffic controller! 

Secondly, the FAA in bowing to the asinine DEI push that started during the Obama era is now woefully understaffed and facing lawsuits from nearly 3,000 highly qualified candidates.

The FAA’s focus on diversity began under the Obama administration. In 2013, the FAA started using a “biographical assessment” to increase the hiring of preferred minority racial groups at air traffic control centers. The assessment asked applicants about their participation in school sports and the age at which they started earning money.

The assessment disqualified more experienced, qualified applicants, many of whom were Air Traffic Collegiate Training graduates or had other critical experience, such as a pilot’s license. 

That has led to a critical shortage among the folks who, in highly stressful situations, are tasked with making sure planes of all kinds don’t collide on the tarmac, runway, or in midair. And yes, there’s been some major close calls. Including one just one day before this tragedy. 

People want answers, but the media and too many politicians are putting all the carts before the horses. Which certainly doesn’t help the grieving families, and gets in the way of the recovery efforts and the multiple investigations into this tragedy.

There are a lot of people (Democrats and media) blasting President Trump for daring to say or speculate that DEI has hindered the FAA from fully staffing the nations air traffic control towers. Well, this report certainly looks to prove his point. And Vice President JD Vance lays that out in yesterday’s press conference. 

We NEED qualified air traffic controllers. Both Trump and Vance are correct. It doesn’t matter the color of their skin or if they check that particular pronoun box. What MATTERS is DO. THEY. KNOW. HOW. TO. DO. THE. JOB??!! 

Yes, I was yelling. The air traffic control tower at Reagan is only 85% staffed right now. And decisions like this do not help.

He corrected to state that the helicopter was actually flying at TOO HIGH of an altitude for the area. That said, the ATC tower was understaffed that night.

FAA needs to dump the DEI crap and start hiring the people who are actually qualified to run an ATC station. 

There are 64 families mourning. They deserve to see an industry kick bad politics to the wayside and get back to doing their best to keep our skies safe. 

Feature Photo Credit: Air traffic control station at airport via iStock, cropped and modified

The post FAA Report: Staffing At Reagan Control Tower Was Below Normal Standards appeared first on Victory Girls Blog.



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