NEW YORK (TNND) — A collision involving an Air Canada regional jet and a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport occurred late Sunday night, resulting in two fatalities.
The incident unfolded around 11:10 p.m. as the jet was landing. Both the pilot and co-pilot died in the crash. At least 40 individuals, including two firefighters, sustained injuries, with some reported as serious.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation, focusing on why the fire truck was on the runway during the aircraft's descent. Preliminary reports indicate the ASDE-X runway warning system failed to alert air traffic controllers due to the fire truck lacking a transponder.
According to NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy, this incident likely involved multiple failures. Investigators are analyzing data from the flight data recorder and video surveillance, as well as interviewing affected personnel.
Emergency medical teams transported injured parties to various hospitals. Most were treated and released by Monday morning.
The aircraft, operated by Jazz Aviation on behalf of Air Canada, was arriving from Montreal, carrying 72 passengers and four crew members. The collision marked the first fatal accident at LaGuardia in over 30 years, as reported by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Flight operations at LaGuardia resumed Monday, but delays persisted due to the ongoing runway closure where the crash occurred. Authorities continue their investigation into the incident.