A nationwide air traffic controller shortage has forced intensely demanding schedules and deteriorating working conditions, fueling a dangerous increase in mistakes guiding planes. Fatigued and demoralized, some controllers report nodding off during shifts while others show up drunk – alarming violations jeopardizing passenger safety. Hundreds of incident reports describe distraught employees struggling with impossible overtime burdens amid understaffing crisis levels. Controllers manage unfathomable stress directing thousands of lives daily. But current excessive strains break even the most dedicated. While recent years saw traffic rebound from the pandemic, controller numbers significantly declined over the past decade despite elevated retirements requiring replacement.