The deadly collision of a passenger plane and military helicopter above the nation’s capital last week that left scores of passengers dead has sparked alarms over aviation safety amid a shortage of air traffic controllers across the country. While the control tower was not fully staffed during the devastating accident at Reagan National Airport, records show that hundreds of airports — including the tower at Pittsburgh International Airport — have operated at levels that are considered by experts to be far below safety thresholds. An analysis of federal data shows that the vast majority of airport towers nationally — about 98% — do not meet the staffing levels recommended by the Federal Aviation Administration and controllers’ union, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has found. To read more, head to the link in our bio. 📝: Jimmy Cloutier/Post-Gazette 🎥: King Jemison/Post-Gazette #pittsburgh #airport #dcplanecrash #phillyplanecrash #airtrafficcontrol