FAA moves to fire two LaGuardia controllers over early departure before fatal runway collision

The Federal Aviation Administration has begun proceedings to fire two air traffic controllers at New York's LaGuardia Airport after determining they left their posts roughly an hour before their shifts ended on the night of a runway collision that killed two pilots and injured dozens of people.

The departure occurred on March 22, 2026, according to reporting cited in the story. It left only two controllers on duty in the tower without the backup that additional staff would normally provide, at a time when thunderstorms had pushed traffic volumes to more than double what had been scheduled.

Within the controller workforce, leaving before a shift formally ends is sometimes called an early shove. Current and former FAA officials describe the practice as a form of timecard fraud when workers are paid for hours not actually worked, since a controller technically on break remains available to respond if conditions suddenly demand it.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy addressed the matter in blunt language, saying the government will act against employees who take advantage of taxpayers and shift extra burden onto co-workers. He said fraud would not be tolerated.

The report notes that supervisors have at times permitted early departures under certain conditions, particularly when the remaining time would otherwise have been spent on a break. Officials told the newspaper that this tolerance is itself a safety concern, since it removes a layer of available backup during unexpected surges in workload.

The FAA's termination process against the two controllers was separately confirmed by a source familiar with the matter, according to the account. Details of the runway collision itself, including its cause, were not fully described in the available reporting.