The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating an air traffic controller as part of the probe into a fatal collision between an Air Canada Express jet and a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport in New York. The accident, which occurred late Sunday, killed both pilots and injured nine others.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy stated that the investigation will consider all aspects, including the controller's handling of another emergency just before the crash. The controller was managing a United Airlines flight that reported a bad odor, which led to a medical emergency.
Homendy noted that the incident raises concerns about air traffic control staffing and the need for modernized safety systems. There were 80 runway incursions in the last quarter, up from 54 in the same period last year.
The NTSB has recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder from the Air Canada jet for further analysis.
