DETROIT (WXYZ) — Control tower staffing during the deadly midair collision near Reagon National Airport Wednesday night was “not normal,” according to a report.
The Associated Press is reporting that one air traffic controller was doing work that’s normally assigned to two people in the tower at Reagan National when the collision happened.
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According to a report by the Federal Aviation Administration that was obtained by the Associated Press, “The position configuration was not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic.”
“It's just terrible. It's awful,” said Vincent Sugent, a retired air traffic controller.
Sugent worked in the Detroit Metro Airport tower for 24 years. He says from what he’s seen of the video of the collision and the radio traffic from the tower, the controllers at Reagan National Airport followed protocol.
“All intents and purposes, to me, it looks like the controller did exactly what he was supposed to do,” he said.
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Sugent says from what’s been released so far, it appears the air traffic controller was instructing the military helicopter pilot correctly to make sure he saw the American Airlines flight, a CRJ700.
“Everything that I've seen, I don't know what more he could have done. I mean, when the pilots see somebody and you tell them that: don't miss them pass behind him,” Sugent said.
Sugent says the investigation into the collision will reveal the facts of what happened. He also says controllers are highly trained, highly intelligent professionals.
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“My heart just goes out to them because, I mean, we have the best controllers in the world, in my opinion. And it's just heartbreaking,” Sugent said. “I can't even imagine what they're going through seeing something like that.”
In a statement, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association is saying “it would be premature to speculate on the root cause of this accident."
They’re also saying they’re going to “wait for the National Transportation Safety Board to complete its work and use that information to help guide decisions and changes to enhance and improve aviation safety."
