The staffing levels at Ronald Reagan National Airport's air traffic control tower were described as "not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic" on the day of the crash between a commuter plane and a military helicopter, The New York Times reported on Thursday, citing a preliminary safety report from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Further, on Wednesday night, the air traffic controller responsible for managing helicopters in the area was also tasked with directing planes taking off and landing on the runways. Normally, these responsibilities would be divided between two controllers rather than being managed by one individual.
There were no survivors from yesterday's midair collision that involved a commercial jet carrying 64 passengers and an Army helicopter with three US service members onboard, near Washington. By Thursday afternoon, recovery teams had retrieved 27 bodies from the jet and one from the helicopter, as confirmed by officials.