NEW YORK (TNND) — A collision between an Air Canada regional jet and a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night resulted in the deaths of both the pilot and co-pilot.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the incident occurred while the aircraft was landing, leading to significant injuries among passengers and crew. A total of 40 individuals, including two firefighters, required medical attention, with some suffering serious injuries. By Monday morning, most had been released from hospitals.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy reported that a runway warning system, ASDE-X, failed to trigger an alert due to the fire truck lacking a transponder. The system was unable to create a reliable track of the vehicle's movements due to the close proximity of multiple vehicles near the runway. Investigators have collected data from the flight data recorder, and further interviews with the firefighters are planned.
The plane was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members, and the crash marked the first fatal incident at LaGuardia in over 30 years. Investigators are focusing on why the fire truck was on the runway and its failure to heed warnings from air traffic control.
Flights resumed on Monday at LaGuardia, although the affected runway remains closed, causing significant delays. The flight was operated by Jazz Aviation on behalf of Air Canada and was en route from Montreal.
Details surrounding air traffic controller workload during the incident remain under investigation, with inquiries ongoing as to whether other demands influenced their responses.