Lone Newark air traffic controller who handled terrifying 90-second outage reveals it’s ‘only a matter of time before we have a fatal crash’

A veteran air traffic controller who was alone during the terrifying 90-second blackout at Newark Liberty International Airport refuses to fly out of the travel hub anymore — saying it’s “only a matter of time” before there’s a “fatal crash.”

The 39-year-old worker told The Times she is too traumatized to work, on stress-related leave and undergoing psychological evaluation after the sudden outage knocked out crucial communications at America’s second busiest airport around 4 a.m. on May 9. The outage followed an equally-long one last month and another in November.

“Do I think it’s safe to fly from or to the airport?” the woman, who spoke to the outlet anonymously, queried.

“Let me put it like this: I deliberately avoid my own airport when booking flights, even if the alternatives are more expensive and less convenient. If Newark’s air traffic control problems don’t get fixed, I believe it’s only a matter of time before we have a fatal crash between two planes.”