NEW YORK (TNND) — A collision between an Air Canada regional jet and a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport on Sunday night resulted in the deaths of both the pilot and co-pilot.
The incident occurred as the plane was landing, carrying 72 passengers and four crew members. Authorities confirmed that approximately 40 individuals, including two from the fire truck, were transported to hospitals, with some sustaining serious injuries.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the crash, noting that the ASDE-X runway warning system failed to provide alerts due to the fire truck lacking a transponder. Chair Jennifer Homendy indicated multiple failures likely contributed to the incident.
Homendy stated that NTSB investigators are reviewing data from the flight data recorder and personal accounts from the firefighters in the truck. Two individuals occupied the control tower during the collision, but it remains unclear if controller distractions or heavy workload impacted decision-making.
The crash marked the first fatal incident at LaGuardia in over 30 years, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Flights resumed at the airport on Monday, yet the affected runway remains closed, causing significant delays.
The flight operated by Jazz Aviation was en route from Montreal to New York. The NTSB has recovered the aircraft's cockpit and flight data recorders for further analysis.
Authorities continue to investigate why the fire truck was present on the runway during the flight's approach and whether any safety protocols were breached.
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EDITOR'S NOTE: The Associated Press contributed to this report.