FAA union acknowledges flight controllers left work early before LaGuardia Air Canada crash

The union representing American air traffic controllers is acknowledging allegations that two members left work early shortly before an Air Canada regional jet crashed at LaGuardia Airport in March, killing two pilots.

U.S. media reports suggest the Federal Aviation Administration is looking to fire the two flight controllers, who allegedly clocked out roughly an hour before their shift ended, leaving a pair of colleagues at the LaGuardia tower without backup.

In an email, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association says it is "actively discussing these allegations with FAA leadership." The U.S. federal agency has not addressed the accusations directly but said in an email it is "committed to holding employees accountable."

Shortly after 11:30 p.m. on March 22, an air traffic controller cleared an Air Canada Express plane to land less than two minutes before clearing a fire truck to cross the active runway. The collision left two Canadian pilots dead and sent more than 40 people to hospital.

A preliminary report from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board found that system failures and communication issues played a key part in the accident. The investigation into whether early departures by the two controllers contributed to the crash is still ongoing.