Deadly Plane Crash is Reminiscent of Previous North Las Vegas Midair Collision
Posted on: February 4, 2025, 10:50h.
Last updated on: February 4, 2025, 11:01h.
Last week’s fatal crash between a plane and helicopter in Washington, DC is reminiscent to a similar midair collision that happened close to Nevada’s North Las Vegas Airport in 2022.

In that incident, four people were killed when a Cessna 172N and Piper PA-46 crashed into each other a quarter-mile from a runway in North Las Vegas on July 17, 2022..
A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation said inadequate staffing in the airport control tower was a contributing cause to the North Las Vegas crash, along with pilot error.
Inadequate Staffing in North Las Vegas
“According to the air traffic manager (ATM), the inadequate staffing had resulted in reduced training discussions, and the management team was unable to appropriately monitor employee performance,” the NTSB said in a report as quoted by Las Vegas TV station KLAS.
The ATM stated that everyone on the team was exhausted, and that work/life balance was nonexistent. It is likely that the cumulative effects of continued deficient staffing, excessive overtime, reduced training, and inadequate recovery time between shifts took a considerable toll on the control tower workforce.”
In addition, a control worker showed “poor judgment,” at the time of the crash, the NTSB report concluded.
Officials Review Staffing at Reagan
Similarly, staffing issues at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport control tower are being investigated as officials review events that led up to last Wednesday’s deadly collision between the military helicopter and commercial plane. The crash led to the deaths of 67 people. Both the plane and the chopper crashed into the Potomac River.
It appears one employee in the control tower at Reagan National Airport was doing the tasks of two workers, according to news reports. On Friday, The Washington Post cited a government report that the number of staff in the Reagan control tower was “not normal” when the crash occurred.
All 64 people aboard the American Eagle Flight No 5342, which was operated by PSA Airlines, died in the accident. PSA Airlines and American Eagle are affiliated with American Airlines. Three servicemembers aboard the helicopter were also killed.
Oksana Baiul Reacts
The passengers on the commercial flight included figure skaters and skating coaches.
Former Las Vegas resident and Olympic Gold Medalist Oksana Baiul told reporters in recent days she knew several of those who lost their lives.
I started reading the news,” Baiul told KLAS. “And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh.’”
The fatalities last week include 1994 World Champions Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova.
In the early nineties after I won the gold medal, Shishkova, Naumov, and myself, we used to live in Connecticut, we used to be colleagues, training on the same ice,” Baiul recalled.
Alexandr Kirsanov, who was a figure skating coach in Delaware, also died, and Baiul said he was a friend.
“It felt like I broke out in tears, and it started feeling like, okay I’m a human, so now I can cry for them,” Baiul added.
Related News Articles
Nebraska Sports Betting Appears Years Away
Las Vegas Sands Request for Long Island Tax Breaks Draws Ire
Tilman Fertitta Las Vegas Strip Casino Project Starting to Take Shape
New Hampshire Casino Owner Gets More Prep for Gaming License Case
Most Popular
Court Approves $45M Settlement in MGM Resorts Hack Class Action
Pennsylvania Township Commissioning Impact Study for Casino Near Penn State
Most Commented
-
Pennsylvania Township Commissioning Impact Study for Casino Near Penn State
January 24, 2025 — 54 Comments— -
Zillow: Town Outside Las Vegas Named the Most Popular Retirement City in 2024
December 26, 2024 — 35 Comments— -
VEGAS DINING NEWS: MGM Resorts Considers Charging for Window Tables
January 11, 2025 — 13 Comments— -
Oakland A’s Prez Resigns, Raising Questions About Las Vegas Move
December 27, 2024 — 9 Comments—
Last Comment ( 1 )
The North Las Vegas mid air was caused by pilot error. Staffing levels in the tower had nothing to do with the crash, but were still a safety concern deserving of attention. There is no amount of ATC staff that could have changed the pilot's aeronautical decision making. The investigation in the tragedy in Washington DC is just beginning, but controllers did not cause the crash and no amount of staffing could have prevented it. There have been reports that a controller dedicated to handling helicopters had gone home early and left another controller to do additional work. That did not have any role in causing the crash. The controller did everything in his power to get the helicopter pilot to make sure they were watching for the airline traffic. The pilot repeatedly requested to assume responsible for separation and insisted he saw the aircraft. The controller has no reason to deny granting a helicopter visual clearance while it is traveling on a designated visual flight corridor. The article is not related in any way to the gaming industry, and only with twisted logic and a pro union labor agenda is it barely linked to Las Vegas. Both crashes are horrible tragedies that shouldn't have happened. Neither one of them were the result of controller actions or staffing levels. It is important that more controllers are available in the national system. This is vital to allow for a better work life balance, better working conditions and better opportunities for continuing their training. There are valid reasons to support the hiring of more controllers. No need to link 2 completely irrelevant tragedies to the discussion.