NEW YORK (TNND) — A collision between an Air Canada regional jet and a fire truck resulted in two fatalities at LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night.
Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed that the crash occurred during the jet's landing phase, killing both the pilot and co-pilot. Witnesses reported that approximately 72 passengers and four crew members were on board; several sustained injuries.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy indicated that the ASDE-X runway warning system failed to alert controllers due to the fire truck's lack of a transponder. “ASDE-X did not generate an alert due to the close proximity of vehicles merging and unmerging near the runway,” Homendy stated.
Around 40 individuals, including two firefighters from the truck, were transported to hospitals. By Monday morning, most had been released, while some experienced serious injuries. A flight attendant survived after being ejected onto the tarmac while still seated.
Investigators aim to determine why the fire truck was on the runway during the aircraft's approach. They are also reviewing data from the flight data recorder and analyzing controller actions amid reports of a heavy workload during a shift change.
The incident is the first fatal accident at LaGuardia in over 30 years, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The flight, operated by Jazz Aviation for Air Canada, was en route from Montreal.
While LaGuardia resumed operations on Monday, the affected runway remains closed, leading to significant flight delays.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The Associated Press contributed to this report.