Control tower at Reagan Airport understaffed before collision

January 31, 2025 - Investigators are looking for the cause of the fatal collision between a passenger plane and a helicopter near Washington DC, including claims that there was a staffing shortage at Reagan Airport at the time.

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Sixty-seven people died after a passenger plane hit a military helicopter in mid-air near Washington DC's Ronald Reagan airport on Wednesday evening.

The air traffic control tower at Reagan airport was understaffed at the time of the collision, according to a government report about the circumstances surrounding the disaster that sparked renewed debate around the airport’s crowded airspace.

According to the report, described to The Washington Post, two people were handling the jobs of four among other colleagues inside National’s control tower at the time of the collision.

Also, the New York Times reports that he helicopter was above 300 feet, not below 200 feet as mandated by the approved route when it collided with the jet.