Two air traffic controllers left work early before a March incident at LaGuardia airport in which an Air Canada jet crashed into a firetruck, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has determined.

Their premature departure left the remaining personnel unable to deal with the workload, according to the Wall Street Journal. Both air traffic controllers face termination by the FAA.

“The vast majority of air-traffic controllers are great patriots—they show up for work, complete their full shift, and come back and do it all again,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. “But when a small percentage of individuals take advantage of the American taxpayer, unfairly add additional work to their fellow controllers, and impact the airspace—we have no choice but to act. We will not tolerate fraud.”

The March 22 incident saw the plane collide with the firetruck while moving more than 100 mph. Both the pilot and copilot were killed in the collision. Seventy-one people were hospitalized.

In recent months, the Trump administration has ramped up efforts to recruit more air traffic controllers, with a campaign specifically reaching out to gamers.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent for Just the News. Follow him on X.