NEW YORK, N.Y. — Federal investigators are examining what led to a fatal collision between an Air Canada Express jet and a Port Authority fire truck on a LaGuardia Airport runway, an incident that killed both pilots and injured dozens of passengers and first responders. Six primary accounts informed this report: AP News, Reuters, CBS News, NBC News, NPR, and USA Today.
- The National Transportation Safety Board dispatched a go team to investigate the Sunday night collision, which occurred when the regional jet struck the fire-rescue vehicle while landing on Runway 4.
- Air traffic control recordings indicate a controller had cleared the fire truck to cross the runway moments before the crash, then urgently attempted to halt the vehicle.
- The crash killed the pilot and co-pilot of Air Canada Express Flight 8646, operated by Jazz Aviation, which was carrying 72 passengers from Montreal.
- The collision forced the closure of LaGuardia Airport with a ground stop in effect until Monday afternoon, triggering hundreds of flight cancellations and delays.
Additional Details Reported
The fire truck was reportedly responding to a separate incident involving a United Airlines flight that had detected an odor in the cabin. Forty-one people were transported to hospitals, including nine with serious injuries. Both Port Authority firefighters in the truck sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
The collision caused significant damage to the aircraft nose and cockpit area. The Federal Aviation Administration is assisting the NTSB investigation, which will examine communication protocols and runway safety procedures.
Image Attribution
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