Report says staffing in control tower was ‘not normal’ at time of deadly air collision

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — A report by the Federal Aviation istration says staffing in the air traffic control tower was “not normal” at the time of the midair collision near Washington.

The report was obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.

One air traffic controller was doing work normally assigned to two people in the tower at Reagan National when the collision happened, according to a report by the Federal Aviation istration obtained by The Associated Press.

“The position configuration was not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic,” the report said.

The collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines flight from Kansas killed all 67 people aboard the two aircraft, officials said, as they scrutinized the actions of the military pilot after the country’s worst aviation disaster in a generation.

At least 28 bodies were pulled from the icy waters of the Potomac River after the helicopter apparently flew into the path of the jet late Wednesday while it was landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, officials said. The plane carried 60 engers and four crew. Three soldiers were aboard the helicopter.