NEW YORK (TNND) — Two pilots died and dozens were injured in a collision between an Air Canada Jazz regional jet and a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport shortly before midnight on March 22.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the jet, landing on Runway 4, struck the moving Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) vehicle, resulting in the death of both the captain and first officer. A total of 39 individuals required hospitalization, with six sustaining serious injuries.
The crash occurred as air traffic control cleared the flight for landing while multiple emergency vehicles responded to a separate incident. One fire truck, identified as “Truck 1,” was granted permission to cross the runway. Seconds before the impact, controllers instructed the truck to halt, but their warnings came too late, as the aircraft was traveling over 100 mph.
The investigation into the accident revealed that the airport's surface radar system, designed to prevent runway conflicts, failed to issue warnings due to the fire trucks lacking transponders. Runway warning lights activated before the crash but deactivated seconds prior, indicating a standard operational protocol.
Recovering cockpit voice and flight data recorders is ongoing, as investigators aim to assess the pilots' final actions. The focus is also on human factors, including air traffic controller workload and potential communication breakdowns during the incident.
The NTSB stated that this is a preliminary report, with further analysis expected in the coming months. The tragedy has sparked renewed discussions about runway safety protocols and coordination between aircraft and ground vehicles.