According to NBC, citing a source familiar with the investigation, the head of air traffic control at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport allowed one of the air traffic controllers to finish their shift earlier than scheduled on the day of the tragedy.
Earlier, The New York Times reported, based on a preliminary report from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), that the air traffic control shift was incomplete at the time of the collision between the plane and the helicopter. One of the controllers was performing multiple tasks simultaneously, including coordinating helicopter movements and managing aircraft landings.
The crash occurred on Thursday night when a regional passenger plane, a Bombardier CRJ700 operated by American Airlines, collided with a military Sikorsky H-60 (Black Hawk) helicopter while approaching the runway at Washington National Airport. There were 60 passengers and 4 crew members aboard the plane, and 3 people aboard the helicopter.
U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that all passengers and crew members were killed. Among the deceased on the commercial flight were Russian citizens. Trump expressed condolences over the loss of Russian nationals and promised to assist with repatriating their bodies.
