Air Traffic Controllers Offered Resignation Day Before Fatal Crash

Air Traffic Controllers Offered Resignation Day Before Fatal Crash \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ A day before the midair collision near Reagan National Airport, FAA employees received an offer to resign with eight months’ pay, prompting concerns about air traffic control staffing. While officials say controllers were exempt from Trump’s federal workforce cuts, a staffing shortage at the time of the crash has drawn scrutiny. Critics warn that downsizing efforts could jeopardize aviation safety, as the FAA struggles to hire new air traffic controllers.

FAA Staffing Crisis and Deadly Midair Collision: Quick Look

• FAA Employees Offered Resignation Before Crash: One day before the deadly midair collision near Reagan National Airport, FAA employees were offered eight months’ pay to resign, raising concerns about staffing shortages.
• Air Traffic Controller Staffing Under Scrutiny: An FAA report revealed that one controller was handling duties normally assigned to two people at the time of the crash.
• Trump Administration Pushes Workforce Reductions: Trump’s efforts to cut federal jobs include a hiring freeze and voluntary resignations, though FAA officials say controllers were exempt.
• Elon Musk’s Role in Workforce Cuts: Musk, a Trump adviser, has advocated for dramatic reductions in government jobs, including FAA staff.
• Trump Blames Diversity Hiring for Crash: Despite no evidence linking hiring practices to the collision, Trump claimed lowered standards were to blame.
• FAA Faces Longstanding Staffing Shortages: The FAA has struggled for years to hire enough controllers, even as air traffic continues to rise.
• What’s Next? Investigators are examining whether staffing issues played a role in the crash, while concerns grow over future workforce cuts impacting aviation safety.

Deep Look

FAA Employees Offered Resignation One Day Before Fatal Collision

Just one day before a catastrophic midair collision at Reagan National Airport, employees at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) received an offer to resign with eight months’ severance pay. The move was part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to reduce the size of the federal workforce, though the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) warned its members not to accept the offer due to uncertainty over its impact on FAA employees.

The deadly crash Wednesday night, which killed 67 people, involved an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter. While there is no direct evidence linking the crash to staffing issues, it has renewed concerns about the risks of FAA workforce reductions—especially amid an ongoing air traffic controller shortage.

FAA Staffing and Air Traffic Control Under Scrutiny

A report from the FAA, obtained by the Associated Press, revealed that on the night of the crash, one air traffic controller was responsible for duties normally assigned to two people.

• Normally, air traffic control responsibilities are split into separate roles.
• At 9:30 p.m., those roles were combined, as is standard during slow traffic periods.
• However, on Wednesday, the shift supervisor combined them earlier than usual.

While FAA officials insist that staffing was at a normal level, the combination of responsibilities has raised questions about whether workload contributed to the collision.

“These positions are regularly combined when traffic slows or during shift changes,” said a person familiar with FAA procedures, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Trump’s Federal Workforce Reductions Spark Debate

The resignation offer FAA employees received was part of President Donald Trump’s push to shrink the federal bureaucracy. A memo sent to federal workers on Thursday, a day after the crash, justified the resignations by saying:

“The way to greater American prosperity is encouraging people to move from lower productivity jobs in the public sector to higher productivity jobs in the private sector.”

However, an official from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) later clarified that air traffic controllers were exempt from the resignation program and Trump’s hiring freeze—even though they received the offer in error.

Concerns Over Air Traffic Controller Shortages

For nearly a decade, the FAA has struggled to hire enough air traffic controllers, even as air travel demand continues to rise.

• In 2023, President Joe Biden pushed for funding to hire 2,000 more controllers.
• By September, the FAA announced plans to hire 1,800 new controllers.
• Despite these efforts, many positions remain unfilled, leading to overworked staff.

NATCA President Nick Daniels warned that the uncertainty surrounding job security could make it even harder to recruit and retain controllers.

“If FAA loses experienced aviation safety personnel during a staffing shortage, the efficiency and safety of air traffic control will be affected,” Daniels said.

Experts Warn of Risks in Cutting Government Jobs

The push for dramatic workforce reductions has drawn criticism from public safety experts, who warn that downsizing without careful planning could have dire consequences.

James Hall, former chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), emphasized that:

“There are people who don’t want to reform institutions, they want to destroy institutions. The American people enjoy the safest aviation system in the world. Changes should be made carefully—someone should remember the old adage to look before you leap.”

Elon Musk and Trump’s Influence on Federal Job Cuts

The push to reduce federal employment has been heavily influenced by Elon Musk, who has repeatedly criticized government bureaucracy and advocated for mass reductions in the federal workforce.

• Musk called bureaucracy “the biggest threat to America.”
• He previously clashed with the FAA over SpaceX regulations.
• FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker resigned the day before Trump took office after pressure from Musk.

With the FAA temporarily leaderless at the time of the crash, Trump named an acting administrator on Thursday, after publicly blaming diversity hiring for the disaster—a claim not supported by any evidence.

Trump’s Response: Diversity Hiring Blamed Without Evidence

During a press conference Thursday, Trump alleged that the crash was due to FAA diversity policies under Biden and Obama, even though there is no evidence that hiring practices contributed to the collision.

“The standards have been lowered to meet quotas, and that’s why we’re seeing disasters like this,” Trump claimed.

However, aviation safety experts refuted this, noting that:

• The FAA has struggled with staffing shortages for years, predating diversity initiatives.
• There have been no fatal commercial air accidents in the U.S. since 2009—until this crash.

Will FAA Cuts Impact Other Critical Government Jobs?

Experts warn that beyond air traffic controllers, other critical government jobs—such as food safety inspectors, VA hospital surgeons, and transportation workers—could also be impacted by Trump’s push to shrink the federal workforce.

Don Kettl, a professor of public policy at the University of Maryland, warned:

“The fact that there’s so much uncertainty, and the president personally seems to be blaming FAA workers, will make hiring even more difficult. This isn’t just about air traffic controllers—reducing the capacity of government affects public safety across many sectors.”

What Happens Next?

With air traffic control staffing under intense scrutiny, and the NTSB investigation into the midair crash underway, key questions remain:

1. Did the air traffic controller’s workload contribute to the accident?
2. Will Trump’s workforce reductions impact aviation safety further?
3. How will the FAA address its ongoing staffing shortage?

The FAA’s hiring challenges are far from over, and with aviation safety now under the national spotlight, the impact of federal workforce cuts on public safety will likely remain a major issue in the coming months.

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