The Trump administration urged Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
employees to find “higher productivity” jobs on Thursday – the day after American Airlines Flight 5342
plunged into the Potomac River, killing 64 people. Amid the crash’s aftermath, Simple Flying has learned that air traffic controllers (ATC) were likely included in the email notice, but are exempt.

It comes as the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
, on Saturday, shared new details on the moments that led up to the crash. Cockpit voice recorder data indicated that there was an audible reaction from the crew piloting the Bombardier CRJ700
just seconds before it collided with a US military helicopter that had a crew of three onboard.

Moving from “lower productivity jobs”

According to a report from The New York Times, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sent an email to a flurry of federal employees, including the FAA, around 20:30 on Thursday, just short of 24 hours after the crash. The incident has since become the first major fatal commercial crash in the US since 2009.

In the email reviewed by The New York Times, the Trump administration seemed to refer to some federal positions as “lower productivity jobs,” and encouraged workers to pursue newer, more productive jobs in the private sector.

“The way to greater American prosperity is encouraging people to move from lower productivity jobs in the public sector to higher productivity jobs in the private sector.”

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Staffing shortages have caused some controllers to work so much overtime that they’ve reportedly made more than $183,000.

On Tuesday, the day before the tragedy, roughly two million federal workers were offered the option to resign and be compensated through September 30th as part of the OPM’s “government-wide deferred resignation program.” It came after President Trump ordered all federal workers to return to working in office. According to CBS News, the White House expects up to 10% of employees to quit their jobs as a result.

The New York Times reported the measure was part of the Trump administration’s effort to significantly reduce the size of the federal workforce and remove workers who do not support the President’s political agenda.

DOT exempts controllers

Simple Flying learned on Saturday from a source familiar with the matter that federal agencies were permitted to outline exceptions to the resignation program. Air traffic controllers were among those exemptions the Department of Transportation (DOT)
determined. However, they likely still received Thursday’s email as agencies did not conclude the program’s exceptions until after the fact.

Simple Flying contacted both the DOT and FAA on Saturday, but representatives could not be immediately reached.

Photo: Philadelphia International Airport

Regardless of the exemptions, some current and former FAA workers reportedly remarked that the email did not sit well with the agency, given its ill-timing following the crash. The New York Times report also alleged that reduced staffing may have played a role in the incident, but there is currently no evidence that it was a factor.

An FAA preliminary report, however, did uncover that ATC tower staffing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) was abnormal at the time of the crash
. While it was still within FAA guidelines, the tower shifted two controller responsibilities to only one. It was later revealed on Friday that a supervisor in the tower left early from their shift just before the collision, according to MSNBC.

“Sounds of impact were audible”

The NTSB held a press briefing on its ongoing investigation of the crash. The ADS-B and flight data recorder indicated that ATC asked the crew to switch their arrival from Runway 1 to Runway 33. As such, ATC notified traffic in the area that the CRJ700 was “at 1,200 feet, circling to Runway 33.”

A minute later, the tower asked the military helicopter “if the CRJ was in sight.” It was just one second later when the crew received an automated traffic advisory that stated, “TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC.”

NTSB investigator Brice Banning detailed what happened seconds after.

“At 20:47:58, the crew had a verbal reaction, and FDR data showed the airplane beginning to increase its pitch. Sounds of impact were audible about one second later followed by the end of the recording.”

Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock

President Trump has also implemented a hiring freeze on federal employees. It is unclear whether the measure will restrict the FAA from onboarding and training new air traffic controllers –

a move that the agency has praised itself for amid an ongoing shortage
.

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