When a radar failure nearly caused disaster in the skies, Jonathan Stewart’s quick thinking revealed the precarious state of our nation’s air traffic systems.
At a Glance
- Jonathan Stewart narrowly averted a midair collision over Newark Liberty International Airport
- Radar failures forced him to revert to pen-and-paper protocols
- Stewart criticized FAA understaffing and United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby
- The incident exposed dangerous gaps in equipment and fatigue safeguards
- Transportation officials have announced a modernization plan in response
High Stakes in the Skies
On May 4, air traffic controller Jonathan Stewart was thrust into a high-pressure nightmare: radar failures while managing jets over Newark Liberty International airspace. With a business jet from Morristown and a small aircraft from Teterboro approaching within unsafe range, Stewart abandoned digital tools and relied on pen-and-paper coordination to avoid disaster.
The 16-year veteran had already been working beyond the recommended two-hour stretch when the near-miss occurred. “After that two-hour mark, your mental acuity begins to diminish,” Stewart explained. Exhausted, he later went on stress leave—haunted by the thought: “I don’t want to be responsible for killing 400 people.”
Watch a report: NJ Air Traffic Controller Speaks Out.
Blame, Burnout, and Bureaucracy
In the aftermath, Stewart called out United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby, who suggested controllers had “walked off the job.” Stewart rejected the accusation, noting, “Not a single controller in Newark Area C—to the best of my knowledge—does not love their job.” Instead, he pointed to systemic failure: outdated technology, overworked staff, and inadequate FAA support.
Controllers in Stewart’s sector reportedly stayed on post amid failing systems and backlogged air traffic, contradicting public narratives blaming frontline staff for recent disruptions. His firsthand account—now going viral across social media—has become a rallying cry for aviation reform.
Too Little, Too Late?
In response to rising pressure, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy unveiled an aggressive plan to upgrade air traffic infrastructure. The initiative includes replacing hundreds of radars and overhauling high-speed communications.
However, with a nationwide shortfall of nearly 3,000 air traffic controllers and repeated failures across critical airports, many in the industry question whether these fixes will arrive fast enough. Stewart’s story highlights how close catastrophe looms when modern aviation is propped up by crumbling 20th-century tools.
As air travel surges back to pre-pandemic levels, the margin for error is vanishing—and unless Washington acts decisively, Stewart warns, the next brush with disaster may not end with a near-miss.
