FAA employee charged with assault after altercation in air traffic control tower at Reagan National Airport
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employee working at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) outside of Washington, D.C. was recently charged over a workplace altercation, authorities said.
Upper Marlboro, Maryland, resident Damon Marsalis Gaines, 38, was charged with assault and battery in relation to the incident. POLITICO reported that the suspect works in controller operations.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) confirmed the developments to Fox News Digital, explaining that the incident transpired in a control tower on Thursday.
The FAA also confirmed the incident to Fox News Digital.
“The employee is on administrative leave while we investigate the matter,” an FAA spokesperson said.
It’s unclear what sparked the scuffle.
The incident is one of many newsworthy stories involving DCA air traffic control recently. The airport has faced scrutiny after an American Airlines plane and an Army helicopter collided on Jan. 29, killing 67 people.
An FAA report later found that the number of staff working at DCA’s air control tower at the time was “not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic.”
On Saturday, a United Airlines plane reportedly made contact with a kite while it was attempting to land at DCA, though that event is unrelated to the assault incident.
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Authorities are actively investigating the allegations.