(NewsNation) — A fighter jet crashed into San Diego Bay on Wednesday, the latest in a string of aviation crashes and close calls.
A recent midair collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and a passenger jet in Washington, D.C., is still under investigation, but the fatal accident that killed 67 people has put a spotlight on the country’s aviation safety systems.
ALready, the FAA is moving to permanently ban helicopters from flying in the air space near Reagan National Airport, according to reporting from The Wall Street Journal.
Investigators are looking into flaws in the airspace design, as well as the potential role of the Black Hawk pilot and the air traffic controller, though it isn’t clear whether the person in the tower that night could have done anything to prevent the crash.
The air traffic controller was reportedly doing the job of two people that night, a situation indicative of an a controller shortage that has been going on for years.
At the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, a program that trains new controllers is working to help fill that void but the pipeline of new talent can’t move fast enough.
It’s one of just four programs offering an enhanced training program for an incredibly difficult and intense job.
The simulation air traffic control tower uses the same type used at the FAA training academy and the pressure is just as intense.
“Normally on a shift, you probably have more lives in your hands than a doctor will ever have in their entire career,” said Colt Iseminger, a professor at the university.
The school’s enhanced program will provide a direct pipeline to the FAA to help feed the demand for air traffic controllers. Currently, more than 90% of America’s towers are understaffed.
Staffing could be a factor in the D.C. crash, with one air traffic controller monitoring both helicopters and planes and their almost daily close calls.
Last year, the FAA faulted a controller for a near collision in Syracuse, New York, and a December incident in Los Angeles remains under investigation.
Staffing isn’t the only issue for air safety. The FAA has been working on a plan to modernize air traffic control technology since 2004.
“It’s a potpourri of technology,” Iseminger said. “We have some very old technology and we have very new technology.”
An agency the size of the FAA takes time to implement new technology across the U.S. A new concern facing controllers is Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
Musk said DOGE will be moving to make rapid safety upgrades to the air traffic system.
Craig Carlson, also with the program, said he doesn’t see any changes happening quickly.
“I hope it doesn’t, because you can’t just throw a new piece of equipment in front of a controller and say, ‘OK, have at it.’ Using something they’re not familiar with is not fair,” he said.
The changes also leave the future up in the air for students in the program. But they are ready to face the challenge.
“I’m not worried about having to learn something new just because it would set my training back,” said Tyler Nordberg. “Anything new I have to learn for the benefit of safety is absolutely worth it.”
The FAA academy in Oklahoma has pass rate of 60% and only 50% are able to make a career out of it, further hindering efforts to alleviate the shortage.
In 2024, 1,800 new air traffic controllers joined the ranks but the shortfall remains at nearly 4,000.