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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently looking into an incident that reportedly involved a physical altercation among employees within the air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). This investigation follows an episode that occurred last Thursday, prompting the intervention of local law enforcement.
Authorities from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police responded to the scene and arrested 39-year-old Damon Gaines from Upper Marlboro, Maryland. He faces charges of assault and battery. Records suggest that Gaines is employed as an air traffic controller at the facility. According to the FAA, he has been placed on administrative leave pending further investigation into the altercation.
Attempts to reach Gaines for a statement have been made; however, no comment has been received as of yet. Additionally, the union representing the air traffic controllers, who are primarily responsible for operations in the Reagan control tower, has chosen not to issue any statements regarding the incident.
This altercation adds to a backdrop of rising tension within the control tower, especially following a catastrophic incident earlier this year involving a mid-air collision that resulted in the loss of 67 lives. This tragic event marked the most significant aviation accident in the U.S. since the September 11 attacks in 2001. Moreover, another concerning scenario unfolded just recently when a Delta Air Lines flight had a near-miss with an Air Force jet shortly after departure from the same airport.
In light of the January crash, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) proposed several key recommendations aimed at mitigating what they characterized as a “serious safety risk” at Reagan airport. Among these recommendations was a directive to prohibit helicopter operations along specific routes near the airport during the use of runways 15 and 33.
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