An air traffic controller has been charged with assault and battery in connection with an altercation in the control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport last week, airport police have confirmed.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority stated that its officers responded to an incident on March 27 where controllers engaged in a physical altercation at the control tower, according to media reports. One individual, Damon Marsalis Gaines — who is employed in controller operations, as per LexisNexis — has been charged with assault and battery.
Investigation Underway
In a statement, the FAA mentioned that the employee involved is currently on administrative leave while an investigation is ongoing.
Repercussions of Previous Tragedy
Gaines, aged 39, declined to comment when approached for a response.
The exact cause of the altercation remains unclear, but it comes in the wake of the January midair disaster at the airport, where an Army Black Hawk helicopter and PSA Airlines regional jet collided over the Potomac River, resulting in the loss of 67 lives.
Reports from POLITICO indicated that the number of air traffic controllers at the tower was deemed sufficient, although a decision was made by a supervisor to assign one controller to monitor both airline flights and helicopter traffic earlier than usual on the night of the tragic incident.
