Two pilots were killed and dozens of others injured late Sunday night when an Air Canada regional jet hit a fire truck while landing at LaGuardia Airport (KLGA) in New York.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates LaGuardia, said the flight’s pilot and copilot were killed. Forty-one other people, 39 from the Air Canada Bombardier CRJ-900, and two from the firefighting vehicle, were reported injured and taken to area hospitals.
The identities of the two pilots have not been made public. An official with the Port Authority said both were based in Canada.
‘I Messed Up’
Air traffic control (ATC) recordings captured the tense moments just before, during, and after the collision.
At 11:37 p.m. EST, a fire truck at LaGuardia, referred to as Truck 1, requested permission to cross Runway 4 at the intersection of taxiway D, and was cleared by ATC. A few seconds later, a controller came back over the radio saying, “Stop, stop, stop, stop Truck 1, stop, stop, stop…Stop Truck 1, stop. Stop, Truck 1, stop!”
Just after the collision, ATC instructed the badly damaged and immobilized Air Canada flight to hold its position and said emergency vehicles were responding.
At 11:40 p.m., another ground vehicle said LaGuardia was closed, “no aircraft in or out.”
Fifteen minutes later, the following exchange took place between ATC in the main tower and a Frontier flight:
ATC: “Frontier 4195, I got the word that we’re gonna be closed for a little while. If you want to prepare to return to the ramp, let me know.”
Frontier: “That was…that wasn’t good to watch.”
ATC: “Yeah, I know I was here…We were dealing with an emergency earlier, and…I messed up.”
Frontier: “No, man, you did the best you could.”
A Port Authority spokesperson said the fire truck was responding to a report of an “odor” on a United Airlines flight when it was struck. Further details about that call for assistance were not immediately available.
It was not clear if ATC staffing levels may have played a role in the accident. The nationwide ATC system is short of thousands of controllers, and many have reported taking on multiple responsibilities throughout a shift. Unlike TSA agents, FAA ATCs are being paid through the partial government shutdown.
Investigation Begins
According to the Associated Press, many of those hospitalized after the crash have been released from the hospital following treatment. The condition of those still in the hospital was not immediately clear.
Air Canada said Monday that the accident flight was operated by Jazz Aviation under the Air Canada Express brand and had 72 passengers and four crewmembers on board. The flight was arriving at LaGuardia from Montreal.
The carrier offered condolences to the families of those killed and said a team is being sent to New York to assist in the coming investigation. Officials said they will continue to release more information as it becomes available, and posted phone numbers for concerned relatives to call.
LaGuardia will remain closed until at least 2 p.m. Monday, the FAA said. Many flights are being diverted to nearby airports, including John F. Kennedy International Airport (KJFK) and Newark Liberty International Airport (KEWR) in New Jersey.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the incident, with the NTSB taking the lead.
Editor’s note: Jack Daleo also contributed to this report.
