NEW YORK (TNND) — Investigators are currently working to uncover the factors that led to a fatal collision between an Air Canada regional jet and a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport in New York.
Jennifer Homendy, Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), indicated that the incident likely involved a series of failures rather than a single error. “It happened very quickly,” said Homendy during a news conference on Tuesday afternoon.
A preliminary investigation revealed that the ASDE-X, a runway warning system that allows air traffic controllers to monitor surface movements of aircraft and vehicles, failed to activate an alarm before the collision. Homendy stated that the system did not operate as expected because the fire truck lacked a transponder.
The incident occurred late Sunday night when the aircraft, carrying 72 passengers and four crew members, struck the fire truck during landing. Both the pilot and co-pilot were killed, and numerous others sustained injuries.
Approximately 40 individuals, including two occupants of the fire truck, were transported to hospitals. Some victims suffered serious injuries; however, by Monday morning, the majority had been released, with others requiring no medical treatment.
A flight attendant survived the crash after being thrown onto the tarmac while still secured in her seat, and several passengers managed to escape the wreckage.
Authorities successfully retrieved the plane's cockpit and flight data recorders by cutting a hole in the roof of the aircraft. These recorders have since been sent to the NTSB lab in Washington for analysis, Homendy confirmed.
Investigators are examining why the airport fire truck was positioned on the runway as the plane approached and why it did not heed urgent warnings from air traffic control. They are also looking into the actions of the controllers to determine if other demands in the tower may have contributed to the crash.
This incident marks the first fatal accident at LaGuardia Airport in over three decades, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
The flight, operated by Jazz Aviation on behalf of Air Canada, was en route from Montreal to New York. Both the deceased pilot and co-pilot were based in Canada, as stated by Kathryn Garcia, Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
The crash transpired amid growing frustrations surrounding air travel in the U.S., which have been exacerbated by long security lines amid a partial government shutdown.
While flights resumed at LaGuardia on Monday—recognized as the New York region's third busiest airport—the runway where the accident occurred remains closed, leading to significant delays for many flights on Tuesday.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The Associated Press contributed to this report.