2 Pilots Killed as Air Canada Jet Hits Fire Truck on LaGuardia Runway — What We Know

Pilots Killed as Air Canada Jet Hits Fire Truck on LaGuardia Runway — What We Know

A devastating runway collision at New York's LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night killed two pilots, injured dozens of passengers, and shut down one of America's busiest airports for nearly 14 hours — marking the deadliest incident at LaGuardia in over three decades.

The pilot and co-pilot were killed when an arriving passenger jet struck a Port Authority vehicle at LaGuardia Airport late last night. Forty-one people were injured in the collision and were treated in local hospitals, and 32 have been released. The collision involved a Jazz Aviation flight operated on behalf of Air Canada. The plane was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members. (ESPN)

What Happened?

The CRJ-900 aircraft, operated by Jazz Aviation as Air Canada Flight AC8646 from Montreal, was landing at LaGuardia Airport in New York with 72 passengers and four crew members on board. Minutes before the crash, a Port Authority fire truck was responding to a United Airlines flight that had reported an odour on board. At approximately 11:40pm on Sunday, the Air Canada aircraft collided with the fire truck on the runway while landing. (Yahoo Sports)

The Air Canada plane was traveling between 93 and 105 mph when it impacted the fire truck, according to FlightRadar24. The truck was headed to a United flight that had reported an odor on board. Based on an air traffic control recording, the ground vehicle had requested permission and had been cleared by the air traffic controller to cross Runway 4 at taxiway Delta. (WWE)

Photos and videos from the scene showed severe damage to the front of the CRJ-900 aircraft, with cables and debris hanging from a mangled cockpit. (WWE)

The Air Traffic Control Recording That Explains Everything

The audio captured in the moments before impact is chilling.

On an audio feed from the time of the incident, an air traffic controller can be heard granting clearance to the vehicle to cross the tarmac, then quickly and repeatedly calling on it to stop. Not long after, a different voice says they have just gotten word the airport will be closed for a while, adding, "that wasn't good to watch." "I tried to reach out to them, I stopped them," the original voice says. "We were dealing with an emergency earlier and I messed up." (Deadline)

The collision happened as air traffic control was also responding to a separate incident where pilots of United Airlines Flight 2384 aborted their takeoff when an anti-ice warning light came on. They reported an odor in the cabin and requested assistance from firefighters. The pilots said flight attendants were feeling ill and declared an emergency when no gates were immediately available. (Yahoo Sports)

Two emergencies. One runway. One catastrophic outcome.

The Human Cost

According to law enforcement sources, most of the injuries were broken bones and bruises, but one person suffered a brain bleed. A flight attendant strapped to her seat fell through an opening in the severed aircraft. (Yahoo Sports)

That flight attendant survived — and her story is remarkable.

A flight attendant still strapped in her seat survived being thrown from the Air Canada plane. Her daughter said it was a "total miracle." She said her mother, Solange Tremblay, had multiple fractures to one leg and will need surgery but otherwise was OK. An aviation safety expert said she was likely helped by being in a seat with a four-point restraint used by crew members. (U.S. News & World Report)

The Port Authority identified the occupants of the fire truck as Sergeant Michael Orsillo and Officer Adrian Baez. Their injuries were not life-threatening. (CNBC)

LaGuardia Shuts Down — Then Reopens

"It was a disaster the likes of which we've not seen here in three decades," New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said at a press conference at the airport in Queens shortly after flights resumed at 2 p.m. (CNBC)

This is the first fatal crash at LaGuardia Airport in over three decades. "The Port Authority takes great pride in being able to work with all of our partners to deliver safety for the flying public, and it has been over 34 years since we had had an incident with a death at the airport," Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia said. (ESPN)

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that while LaGuardia has reopened, "we are going to be running at very reduced capacity for some time." (CNBC)

A System Already Under Strain

This collision did not happen in a vacuum. America's aviation system was already struggling before Sunday night.

Air travel has recently been fraught for many Americans due to the partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security, now in its sixth week. Many TSA officers, forced to work without pay, have either quit or called out from work, resulting in longer security lines at many airports. (Deadline)

The collision at LaGuardia's runway four is the latest blow to the beleaguered aviation industry, which has been grappling for years with a chronic shortage of air traffic controllers — and are now contending with a severe shortage of TSA workers due to the partial government shutdown. (CNBC)

What Happens Next?

The NTSB has launched a full investigation. Investigators are already on scene examining the wreckage, the runway, and the air traffic control recordings.

Investigators will be looking into what the communication breakdown was that allowed the vehicle to be on the runway as the plane was landing. They will also want to understand if the air traffic controller was working alone in the tower. (Yahoo Sports)

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said: "I want New Yorkers to know that the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of this accident, and that we will not rest until the conclusion of that investigation." (ESPN)

For the families of the two pilots who never made it home from Sunday's flight — the investigation cannot come soon enough.

PopScope USA will continue updating this story as the NTSB investigation develops. If you were affected by flight cancellations at LaGuardia, Air Canada has set up a hotline at 1-800-961-7099.

📍 popscopeusa.blogspot.com