Authorities are investigating a physical altercation that broke out inside the air traffic control tower at Reagan National Airport (DCA), resulting in the arrest of a 40-year-old controller.
According to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, police arrested Damon Marsalis Gaines last week after reports of a fight inside the tower. Gaines was later charged with assault and battery.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed Gaines has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation. No additional details have been shared about what led to the confrontation or whether any other employees were involved.
The incident comes at a time when DCA is already under heightened scrutiny. Just months ago, the airport was the site of a deadly mid-air collision involving an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Blackhawk helicopter. That crash, which occurred on January 29, claimed the lives of 70 people, including three Army soldiers and 67 passengers and crew on the commercial aircraft.
DCA has also faced long-standing warnings about operational safety and congestion, with pilots and aviation experts raising concerns about runway space and flight coordination for years.
No disruptions to flight operations have been reported as a result of the incident.
