Fact Check: Was only one air traffic controller in the tower during LaGuardia crash?

LAGUARDIA AIRPORT, NEW YORK: Tragedy struck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport when an Air Canada Express jet arriving from Montreal collided with a Port Authority vehicle while landing. Two pilots lost their lives, and over 40 passengers and crew were hospitalized. As investigators work to determine what actually went wrong, reports have been circulating online claiming that only one air traffic controller was on duty in the tower at the time of the crash. But is that true? Let’s fact-check this claim.

Claim: Only one air traffic controller was on duty during the Air Canada Express crash

A Reddit post on r/ThatsInsane has been circulating online, showing two images from the crash with the caption: “Only one air traffic controller was in the tower at the time of the accident."

 CBS News also reported that audio from LaGuardia Airport’s air traffic control is raising questions about staffing and workload after the deadly runway collision that killed two pilots.

According to the report, a single controller seemed to be handling multiple emergencies at once before the Air Canada plane hit a firetruck. In the recording, the controller can be heard saying to a pilot, “We were dealing with an emergency earlier. I messed up.”

The report caused concern online, with many people shocked that only one controller might have been managing everything. Some stressed the importance of having at least two controllers on duty for safety.

Fact Check: False, officials said that reports about the air traffic controllers were inaccurate

Audio from before the crash showed some confusion between ground control and the control tower, with it sounding like only one person might have been handling both roles.

After the crash, Transportation Secretary Sean P Duffy addressed the staffing reports, saying that claims only one air traffic controller was in the tower were 'not accurate.' This confirmed that there were multiple controllers on duty during the accident.

The investigation is still ongoing, and the NTSB will provide more details on staffing later. When asked how many controllers were working on Sunday night, Duffy declined to give a number. He said LaGuardia is a well-staffed airport, noting current staffing and broader system needs.

Duffy explained that the airport’s target is 37 controllers. Currently, 33 are fully certified, and 6–7 more are in training. He also highlighted the need for funding to modernize the air traffic system, moving from older analog technology to new digital systems. He said both Democrats and Republicans support the upgrades, but Congress must provide the money to complete them.