Air Canada Plane Collides with Fire Truck at LaGuardia Airport
NEW YORK (AP) — An Air Canada jet collided with a fire truck while landing at LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night, resulting in two fatalities and several injuries.
The incident occurred around 11:00 p.m. as the aircraft, carrying 72 passengers and four crew members, was landing after departing from Montreal. The collision ultimately killed both pilots, while approximately 40 individuals were transported to hospitals for treatment. Most had non-life-threatening injuries and were later released.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the runway warning system failed because the fire truck lacked a transponder, preventing an alarm from sounding. NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy emphasized the need for airport vehicles to have transponders to enhance safety measures.
Investigation details are still pending, as NTSB officials have not yet interviewed the firefighters involved or analyzed data from the flight data recorder. The control tower had cleared the fire truck to cross the runway mere seconds before the collision, while the aircraft was about 100 feet in the air.
LaGuardia Airport’s runway remains closed for further investigation, with disruptions to one-quarter of flights on Tuesday. Recovery efforts included accessing the wreckage of the aircraft via a hole cut in its roof.
The crash marks the first fatal incident at LaGuardia in 34 years, as confirmed by Kathryn Garcia, Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Authorities continue to assess the situation, and the investigation is ongoing.