Reagan Airport Controller Charged Following Tower Altercation

Damon Gaines faces assault charges after a fight in the control tower, highlighting stress linked to January's fatal midair collision.

Damon Gaines, an air traffic controller at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, has been charged with assault and battery after a March 27 fight in the control tower.
The FAA has placed Gaines on administrative leave while it conducts an investigation into the incident.
Sources describe the altercation as a 'bloody physical fight' involving punches and drawing blood, with tensions reportedly linked to the January 2025 midair collision.
The January 29 crash between an American Airlines jet and a military Black Hawk helicopter killed 67 people and remains under investigation by the NTSB.
Critics have raised concerns about air traffic control practices, noting that only one controller was managing both aircraft and helicopter traffic at the time of the crash despite sufficient staffing.