The Off Topic Topic

[viper37]

There was an accident this morning at LaGuardia airport, New York.

https://www.lapresse.ca/international/etats-unis/2026-03-23/collision-a-l-aeroport-laguardia/j-ai-cafouille-les-secondes-fatales-avant-la-collision.php

The text and transcript are in French, the audio is in English.

The air traffic controller gave the go to a fireman truck to cross the landing strip as a small aircraft was landing. He fucked up / he did the best he could.

The aircraft was coming from Montreal, it hit the truck.  The two pilots are dead.  One flight attendant sitting right behind the pilots was ejected with her seat, landing 100m further, suffering a broken leg, requiring surgeries.  No other fatalities, but other serious injuries.


The investigation will reveal more in time.

But I can't help but think this is all related to Elon Musk's cuts in air traffic controllers staff to be replaced by his AI software.

https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-starlink-spacex-faa-bbe9495978cac61b60c2971168e2921f


Here's the accident:
https://www.reddit.com/r/aviation/comments/1s1lr9z/ac8646_video_of_the_collision/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

[DGuller]

It is true that there is a critical shortage of ATCs, and I've heard predictions how that would inevitably result in a tragedy, but I think you're mischaracterizing the article you yourself are linking to.  There is no mention of either AI or laying off controllers.  The article is about upgrading communication sustem.

[viper37]

It is true that there is a critical shortage of ATCs, and I've heard predictions how that would inevitably result in a tragedy, but I think you're mischaracterizing the article you yourself are linking to.  There is no mention of either AI or laying off controllers.  The article is about upgrading communication sustem.

There was an accident already, the firetruck was going there.

The air controller was alone to handle the accident, the firetruck, the new plane.

He was left to work for 1hr after the accident he felt responsible for, before being relieved.

I don't think these are normal working conditions.


Air traffic control centers struggle with understaffing amidst DOGE layoffs

[grumbler]

There was not a prior accident, there was an incident in which a pilot reported a strange odor in the cockpit, and the fire truck was going there to investigate.

The article viper linked is more than a year old.  That doesn't mean that there are no problems, just that the scope and locations of the problems may be very different a year later.

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

The fire truck was responding to an incident, but not an accident.

Also, near-miss runway incursions have been a problem for years.  DOGE shenanigans didn't help, but something like this was looking inevitable even without them.  In fact, the article you linked notes that no controllers were cut as a result of DOGE shenanigans, and that the understaffing problem is years old.

[The Brain]

Why is understaffing allowed? If you don't have enough staff to operate within safe parameters you shut down operations.