Deadly Air Canada plane crash at LaGuardia Airport after collision with fire truck
Consensus Summary
An Air Canada Express regional jet operated by Jazz Aviation collided with a Port Authority fire truck at LaGuardia Airport on Sunday night, killing both pilots and injuring dozens. The crash occurred on Runway 4 at approximately 11:45 pm after the controller initially cleared the fire truck to cross the runway while the plane was landing. Audio recordings reveal the controller urgently ordered the truck to stop moments before impact, with the controller later admitting âI messed upâ in one account. The fire truck lacked a transponder, preventing the airportâs ASDE-X system from detecting its location, and was responding to an emergency involving a United Airlines flight with an odour issue. Investigators from the NTSB are examining multiple factors, including controller coordination, staffing levels, and the role of the runway warning system, while emphasizing that the crash likely resulted from multiple failures rather than a single error. The runway remains closed until at least Friday as the investigation continues, with the NTSB analyzing cockpit voice and flight data recorders to reconstruct the final moments. Survivors reported chaos and injuries during the evacuation, including a flight attendant found alive outside the plane still strapped into her seat. The incident follows a series of recent aviation accidents and highlights ongoing concerns about air traffic control safety and airport operations under stress.
â Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- An Air Canada Express regional jet (operated by Jazz Aviation) collided with a Port Authority fire truck at LaGuardia Airport, New York, on Sunday night (local time), killing both pilots (Antoine Forest and Mackenzie Gunther) and injuring 39â41 people, including two Port Authority employees in the fire truck.
- The crash occurred at approximately 11:45 pm on Sunday (local time) on Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport, with the plane traveling at about 39 km/h (24 mph) when it struck the fire truck.
- The fire truck was responding to an emergency involving a concerning odour on a United Airlines flight, and the truck lacked a transponder, preventing the airportâs ASDE-X surface surveillance system from detecting its location.
- Audio recordings from the control tower show a controller initially clearing the fire truck to cross the runway, then urgently ordering it to stop with commands like âStop, stop, stop, truck one stopâ just seconds before the collision.
- The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the incident, with Jennifer Homendy stating the crash was likely caused by multiple failures rather than a single error, and the runway was closed until at least Friday for the investigation.
- The Air Canada Express CRJ-900 flight (AC8646) originated from Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport and carried approximately 72â76 passengers and four crew members.
- A flight attendant, Solange Tremblay, was found alive outside the plane, still strapped into her seat, after being ejected during the crash.
- The NTSB and FAA have not yet released a final report, but preliminary findings indicate the fire truck was cleared to cross the runway despite the planeâs imminent landing.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The Guardian highlights that the control tower audio captures the controller admitting âI messed upâ moments after the crash, with the controller stating he was âdealing with an emergency earlierâ (the United Airlines odour incident).
- The Guardian notes that the pilot safety concerns about LaGuardiaâs air traffic control were filed to NASAâs Aviation Safety Reporting System months before the crash, with pilots warning of high operational pace and lack of clear guidance.
- ABC reports that the fire truck was manned by police officers, with a sergeant and an officer suffering broken limbs and being in stable condition at a hospital.
- ABC states that the NTSB is exploring whether the practice of having two controllers on duty overnight is sufficient, and whether the runway warning system (runway status lights) could have alerted the fire truck driver.
- ABC includes a quote from NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy cautioning against blaming controllers for distraction, stating the workload environment is heavy and the controllers were early in their shift.
- NewscomaU quotes retired FAA air traffic controller Harvey Sconick calling the controller âbrain deadâ for allowing the fire truck to cross the runway while the plane was landing, and Mary Schiavo (former DOT inspector general) stating the controller likely failed to coordinate between local and ground control.
- NewscomaU reports that a female flight attendant miraculously survived after being ejected through the front of the aircraft while still strapped into her seat, with Port Authority cops helping to rescue her.
- The Age notes that the fire truck was responding to a United Airlines flight that had declared an emergency due to an odour on board, with ATC audio showing the sequence of events leading to the truckâs clearance.
- The Age mentions that 32 of the 41 injured on the Air Canada jet had been released by Monday afternoon, with nine still in hospital with serious injuries.
- SMH states that the airport was closed until 2pm (New York time) on Monday, with 18 flights diverted to other airports or returned to their origin, and mentions that LaGuardia warned earlier of flight disruptions due to light rain and fog.
- Reuters is cited in multiple sources for the preliminary passenger list (72 passengers and four crew members) and the identification of Antoine Forest as one of the pilots killed.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian and ABC report that the fire truck lacked a transponder, but NewscomaU does not explicitly state this fact, focusing instead on the controllerâs alleged error.
- ABC and NewscomaU describe the fire truck as being manned by police officers, while other sources (e.g., Guardian, The Age) do not specify the truckâs crew composition beyond âPort Authority employeesâ or âfirefightersâ.
- The Guardian and ABC report that the fire truck was responding to a United Airlines flight with an odour issue, but The Age and SMH do not explicitly state this as the primary reason for the truckâs presence on the runway.
- NewscomaU and ABC report that the runway status lights were working and may have warned the fire truck driver, but this detail is not mentioned in the Guardian or The Age.
- The Guardian and NewscomaU report that the controller admitted âI messed upâ in audio recordings, but The Age and SMH do not provide this specific quote or admission.
Source Articles
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