NYC air traffic controllers facing dismissal for allegedly leaving work early on night of deadly crash

New York (AP) Two air traffic controllers at LaGuardia Airport in New York could be fired for allegedly leaving the tower about an hour early on the night an Air Canada jet smashed into a fire truck crossing the runway, killing both pilots, a government official familiar with the investigation has disclosed.

However, their union, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said in a statement that it “is actively discussing these allegations with FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] leadership.”

The official was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter due to the ongoing National Transportation Safety Board investigation into the March 22 crash and spoke to The Associated Press Friday on the condition of anonymity.