Robin Lee Wascher was involved in a tragic air traffic control incident in 1986. She was the air traffic controller on duty at Los Angeles International Airport when two planes collided on the runway, resulting in the deaths of 82 people.
On February 1, 1986, Robin Lee Wascher was working as an air traffic controller at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). She was responsible for directing aircraft on the ground, which included issuing taxi and takeoff clearances. On that fateful day, Wascher cleared a SkyWest Airlines commuter plane to taxi onto the runway. At the same time, she had also cleared a USAir Boeing 737 for landing on the same runway.
Unfortunately, due to miscommunication and a series of errors, the two aircraft collided. The USAir jet landed on top of the smaller SkyWest plane, crushing it and immediately killing all 12 people on board. The USAir plane then skidded off the runway and caught fire, resulting in the deaths of an additional 22 passengers and crew members.
The incident was one of the deadliest runway collisions in history and led to significant changes in aviation safety protocols and air traffic control procedures. Wascher was initially blamed for the accident, but further investigation revealed systemic issues and failures in communication that contributed to the tragedy. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the accident was caused by a combination of factors, including the air traffic control procedures in place at the time and the design of the airport’s taxi and runway layout.
Following the accident, Wascher faced intense scrutiny and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. She eventually returned to work as an air traffic controller but later left the profession. The crash had a profound impact on her life and the lives of all those affected by the tragedy.
