I feel terrible for the Air Traffic Controller at LaGuardia Airport

[Chasstev365]

I can't imagine what a stressful job being Air Traffic Controller must be and they are overworked and underpaid. This poor guy is going to have to live with the accident for the rest of his life.

[LisaM]

1. I completely agree.

He is probably doing a job that should be done by multiple people. He's got one plane with an on-the-ground emergency, a firetruck, AND an incoming plane at night going 194 mph or whatever, plus possibly other takeoff and landing issues. There should be at least three people working on this.

[2naSalit]

2. One of the horrible things...

Is that ATCs have one of the highest suicide rates in the country. I fear this ATC may go that route at some point. You just know that the magat regime will hang him out to dry.

[pinkstarburst]

3. This is what happens when you don't staff

the airports properly with enough ATCs to do the job. It is insane to me that one person would be expected to do all that. At Laguardia? This wasn't some tiny one cow airfield in South Dakota. I don't blame this person at all. This is what happens when we understaff positions. It's no different than sending one firefighter to a 5-alarm fire and being shocked when that single person can't save all 20 people inside and operate all the hoses, do paramedic duties, and everything else by themselves. .

[3catwoman3]

4. Me, too. There are many jobs I would not want to have/do. Being an ATC is near...

...if not at the top, of that list. I wouldn't want to even in an optimally staffed setting.

[Spazito]

5. I do too...

my heart goes out to him, it was a tragic accident. In most aircraft accidents, it is more than just one thing happening, it is more often a number of factors that led to the accident. That could certainly be the case here, imo, in that the communication system in use could be a big factor here as well.

From an article on the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) News site:

"We seem to have three people that needed to know what's going on, or actually four different entities, and we don't hear any co-ordination among them," Mary Schiavo, the former U.S. Department of Transportation inspector general, told CBC News Network Monday morning.

"There are three people communicating but not with each other."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/air-canada-crash-what-happened-9.7138331

[ecstatic]

6. A great point was made about how, after the crash,

even though the AT controller was probably freaking out inside, he successfully managed / redirected / landed several other incoming planes that required his attention.

That's how he'll get through this.

By showing up and doing his best. Or maybe by quitting and advocating for system improvements (but I'm pretty sure they really need him there).

[Initech]

7. I'm not blaming him in the least.

The blame needs to be placed on Donald Trump and Mike Johnson. This ridiculous temper tantrum over the bullshit and highly illegal SAVE Act needs to stop. Anyone else doing this shitty of a job would have been thrown out on their ass by now.

[Renew Deal]

8. Apparently, the fire truck driver also deserves some blame

From what I heard, they’re also responsible for making sure the crossing runways are clear. Doesn’t appear they did that in this case.