(InvestigateTV) — America’s air traffic control system has reached a critical breaking point, with our investigators uncovering at least 135 accidents or incidents since 2010 where controllers were listed as a cause or contributing factor.
In this episode of InvestigateTV+, we examine:
Air Traffic Control Crisis: Our investigators reveal systemic problems, including severe staffing shortages, outdated technology and overwhelmed controllers reporting unsafe working conditions that have contributed to hundreds of crashes and near-misses over the past decade.
Online Child Exploitation: The FBI warns of disturbing “Gore groups” like 764 that exploit children through gaming platforms, targeting vulnerable minors and coercing them into increasingly extreme behaviors, including self-harm and violence.
Wildlife Strike Prevention: Airports implement innovative solutions to combat rising bird strikes, with West Virginia’s Yeager Airport using specially trained border collies to achieve a 70% reduction in dangerous wildlife encounters.
Adult Tap Dancing Revival: Carolina Rhythm Tap Ensemble in Myrtle Beach provides a supportive environment for women rediscovering their passion for dance after years focused on careers and families.
Years of data show US air traffic control system ‘straining at the seams’
Air traffic control problems are not a recent phenomenon. InvestigateTV analyzed data from hundreds of NTSB investigative reports and found that air traffic control was listed as a cause or contributing factor in at least 135 accidents or incidents dating back to 2010.
Those events include significant close calls, such as the February 2023 incident in Austin, Texas, where a FedEx cargo plane came within 170 feet of hitting a Southwest flight with 128 people onboard. Records show there have been at least 11 midair collisions and five ground or runway collision related to air traffic control.
In 42 of the events InvestigateTV identified, there was at least one fatality, including a 2022 midair collision in North Las Vegas, Nevada, that killed four people.
In that crash, the NTSB determined the air traffic controller was not monitoring the two aircraft despite the airspace having had several recent close calls due to newly-implemented landing patterns, but it also assigned blame to the FAA’s “insufficient staffing of the facility, which required excessive overtime that did not allow for proper controller training or adequate recovery time between shifts.”
Click here to read the full investigation.
FBI investigates rise in ‘gore group’ crimes targeting teens online
A disturbing and relatively new form of online crime is surfacing more frequently across Oregon and the United States, according to local and federal investigators.
Known as “gore groups,” these loosely connected online communities are luring and exploiting vulnerable youth — often with shocking levels of violence and psychological manipulation.
FBI Portland Special Agent in Charge Doug Olsen says these crimes are becoming more common — and often more difficult to track.
“It’s definitely here. I know of two cases that have been fully adjudicated, and four active cases we’re working on right now,” Olsen told FOX 12. “It doesn’t mean we (Oregon )are a hotspot — it just means we’re not free of that type of activity.”
Cybercrimes can always be reported to the FBI through its online tip form. Locally, SafeOregon is also a resource where students and families can anonymously report safety threats or potential acts of violence in schools, and the state police and appropriate school district will be immediately alerted.
If it’s an emergency, local and federal law enforcement agencies urge the public always to call 911.
These patrolling pups protect travelers at a West Virginia airport
The Federal Aviation Administration says birds and other wildlife can cause serious damage to planes. The most recent data from the administration shows almost 20,000 strikes in one year at airports across the U.S., causing millions in damages.
With West Virginia International Yeager Airport in Charleston being situated on a mountain, naturally, these creatures continually make their way onto the airfield.
That’s where Hercules, and his new partner, Ned, the airport’s wildlife K-9s, get to work, dedicated to keeping the airfield clear of wildlife as planes land and take off. Yeager Airport is unique in the fact that it is one of the few with a dedicated Wildlife Specialist team.
Hercules and his handler, Chris Keyser, the airport’s Wildlife Specialist, have been at it for a few years, but now, they’ve recruited some help.
See the full video by clicking here.
Stepping in time with the Carolina Rhythm Tap Ensemble
Michele Selvanto-Kowalski’s Carolina Rhythm Tap Ensemble offers adult women a chance to rediscover their passion for dance.
After 45 years of teaching tap in New Jersey, Kowalski moved to Myrtle Beach and created the group specifically for adults who had hung up their dancing shoes for careers and families.
Students like Trisha Hileman and Susan Krajewski say the ensemble provides more than just dance instruction—it’s become a supportive family environment where laughter and learning go hand in hand.
These women practice choreography once a week and take tap classes to perfect their technique before showcasing their talent to the community.