Air Traffic Controller Whose Split-Second Decision Narrowly Avoided Mid-Air Collision Speaks Out
A veteran air traffic controller is speaking out about the high-pressure working conditions he and his colleagues are facing amid tech blackouts and staffing shortages.
Jonathan Stewart, 45, is a supervisor at Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON), which monitors flights traveling to and from Newark Liberty International Airport, as well as regional airports.
In recent weeks, air controllers have been faced with unimaginable challenges, such as the 90-second outage at Newark that made their computer screens go dark while simultaneously leaving them without any direct line of communication to pilots.
During an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Stewart got candid about how the traumatic experience has impacted him and his colleagues. He also detailed a close encounter between two planes flying near Newark, N.J., that called for him to make a split-second call to avoid a horrific accident.
The incident involved a business jet flying out of Morristown Airport in New Jersey and another smaller plane that had taken off at nearby Teterboro, according to the outlet. Stewart quickly noticed the two aircrafts flying directly towards each other at the same altitude during the fourth hour of his shift.
While he was able to quickly contact the two pilots and direct the two planes away from each other in time, he was 'badly shaken' by the near-collision as he feared their communication technology might give out like it did days before, per the outlet.
Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
As a result of the incident and the current working conditions, Stewart opted to take a stress-related trauma leave after writing a strongly-worded email to FAA managers. In the email, he emphasized, 'I take my job very seriously, as I do the safety of the flying public, and take pride in my performance.'
He notes that several of his colleagues have also taken leave after experiencing dangerous tech glitches, resulting in the same fear that these temporary outages could result in tragedy.
'I don't want to be responsible for killing 400 people,' Stewart said.
Of his high-pressure job, he adds, 'It's like a videogame, but it's like playing 3-D chess at 250 miles an hour. We are the guys that are guiding your pilots home.'
While he tells WSJ that he's set to earn a salary of over $450,000, he says it comes with 'a lot' of sacrifices, including demanding 60-hour work weeks. He adds that you're expected to 'give up nights, weekends, holidays, birthdays, everything else. Your mental health and your physical health take a toll.'
He notes that every time there's any kind of incident, it has a 'cumulative' impact on every air controller.
'The thing about PTSD is this: For every time you have an incident — say a close call, a near-midair, God forbid — all of these things are cumulative,' he explained.
He emphasizes that the lack of staffing is a major problem in air traffic control.
Earlier this month, United Airlines cut 35 roundtrip flights from Newark due to 'FAA staffing issues,' the airline said. Not only does being understaffed lead to delays, but it can also lead to unsafe working conditions for the controllers working on the job.
Stewart says in an ideal world, controllers shouldn't be actively monitoring traffic for more than two hours so they can stay sharp instead of possibly losing focus or getting fatigued.
'Like anything else, you're going to have a breaking point,' he added.
In a May 13 statement from the FAA on the current staffing issues, the agency noted, 'There is a nationwide shortage of air traffic controllers, and the FAA for years has not met the staffing goal for the area that works Newark airspace.'
The statement continued, 'If daily or per-shift staffing levels are low, the FAA ensures safety by implementing traffic management initiatives, such as slowing the flow of aircraft into an airport.'
All of this comes on the heels of the deadly mid-air collision of an American Eagle passenger jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter over Washington D.C.'s Reagan National Airport that killed 67 people, and significant cuts made to the FAA by the Trump Administration.
Read the original article on People

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
6 presumed dead after plane headed for Phoenix crashes near San Diego
A small plane headed for Phoenix crashed into the Pacific Ocean on June 8 in the San Diego area, and search and rescue crews worked overnight to locate the six occupants who were presumed dead. The crash was initially reported around 12:45 p.m., and the U.S. Coast Guard searched for the twin-engine Cessna 414, tail number N414BA, about three miles west of Point Loma, an oceanside community in San Diego. The Coast Guard said the debris field from the crash was believed to be about 200 feet deep. The Federal Aviation Administration reported the plane was "destroyed." A preliminary investigation showed the plane was in the initial climb of its flight and that it crashed under unknown circumstances, according to the FAA. The FlightAware website depicted the plane making two loops over the coastline just near Point Loma before it crashed. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. The FAA reported five passengers and one member of the flight crew were on board, all of them presumed dead as a result of the crash. The plane departed from San Diego and was headed to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, according to FlightRadar24. The plane's ownership was listed as Optimal Health Systems, based out of Pima, Arizona, in Graham County. Doug Grant, founder of the business, said the company knew several passengers on board and offered condolences, but denied owning the plane. "We personally knew several of the passengers onboard and our sincerest condolences are offered to those affected by the tragedy, all of whom are incredible members of our small community," Grant said in a written statement to The Arizona Republic. He said despite the FAA listing his business as the owner of the plane, Optimal Health Systems sold the aircraft in June 2023 "to a group of private individuals." He said the purchase and sales agreement included an escrow arrangement and a transfer of the plane's operations. The day before the crash on June 7, the flight tracker recorded the Cessna traveling from Safford Regional Airport in Graham County to Phoenix and then to San Diego. This is a developing story, check back to for more details. Reach reporter Rey Covarrubias Jr. at rcovarrubias@ Follow him on X, Threads and Bluesky @ReyCJrAZ. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: San Diego plane crash: 6 on flight to Phoenix presumed dead
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
6 Missing After Plane Plummets into Water Off San Diego Coast
Six people are missing after a small plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, Calif. on Sunday, June 8, officials said The plane was traveling from San Diego to Phoenix The FAA and NTSB are continuing to investigateSix people are missing after the plane they were on crashed off the California coast, officials said. On Sunday, June 8, a Cessna 414 crashed into the Pacific Ocean near San Diego at approximately 12:30 p.m. local time, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. The plane took off from San Diego International Airport and was headed to Phoenix, Arizona, according to Flightaware. The initial FAA report says that the plane crashed 'under unknown circumstances,' destroying the plane. There was one member of the flight crew onboard as well as five passengers. Later that night, the United States Coast Guard said in a statement that it was searching for the downed plane with the help of a helicopter, military aircraft and boats from multiple agencies. Additional details have not immediately been made public. A witness told NBC affiliate KNSD that he initially thought the plane was originally doing stunts in the air. "I saw him come down at an angle. He wasn't flying straight to the ground," said Tyson Wislofsky. "The next time he came out of the clouds, he went straight into the water. But after I saw this splash, about six seconds later, it was dead silent,' he continued. 'I knew that they went in the water, nose first, at a high speed.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The U.S. Coast Guard and San Diego Fire-Rescue Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's requests for comment. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are continuing to investigate the incident. Read the original article on People

Epoch Times
an hour ago
- Epoch Times
6 Killed in Small Plane Crash Off San Diego Coast
A small plane crashed off the San Diego coast shortly after takeoff, killing all six people on board, the Federal Aviation Administration said Monday. The twin-engine Cessna 414 crashed at around 12:30 p.m. Sunday, the FAA said. The plane was returning to Phoenix one day after flying out from Arizona, according to the flight tracking website