NTSB Says LaGuardia Tower Staffing Normal, But Concerns Remain

Investigators are still working to answer critical questions about air traffic control roles on the night an Air Canada flight hit a fire truck.

Zach Vasile

Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at 05:05 PM ET

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Edited By:

Travis Tingle

NTSB logo and image [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

A fatal collision at LaGuardia involved an Air Canada flight hitting a firefighting truck on Runway 4 after the truck was cleared to cross, killing two pilots.
Key safety systems failed, with LaGuardia's ASDX runway safety system not alerting and the responding firefighting truck lacking a transponder.
While two air traffic controllers were on duty (standard for the midnight shift), the NTSB found conflicting information regarding who was performing ground controller duties and noted prior concerns about midnight shift fatigue, though it's not yet identified as a factor in this incident.

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There were two air traffic controllers (ATCs) in the tower overseeing LaGuardia Airport (KLGA) at the time of Sunday night’s fatal collision, the National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday, a figure that is considered standard for the midnight shift at the airport and across much of the nation’s airspace.

Still, questions remain about how many staff overall were at the ATC facility at the time of the crash and what roles the controllers in the tower were filling.