Air Canada Plane collides with rescue truck at LaGuardia airport, 2 pilots killed and dozens injured

Two pilots died and many people were injured after a plane hit a fire-rescue truck at LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night, officials said. The crash involved an Air Canada Express flight landing at the airport. The plane collided with a Port Authority fire-and-rescue vehicle on the runway.

Both the deceased pilot and co-pilot were Canadian nationals, as stated by CBS News. The aircraft was moving at around 100 mph when the collision happened, with the New York Times reporting that audio recordings from the air traffic tower indicated that the air traffic controllers might have been distracted when the collision took place. The flight was Air Canada Flight 8646 operated by Jazz Aviation, and it rammed into a fire truck which was on its way to respond to another emergency on another flight. There were 72 passengers and four crew members on board the plane, with one of the flight attendants getting ejected during the collision, the New York Times reported.

Injuries after runway crash

A total of 41 people were taken to hospitals, including passengers and two rescue officers from the truck. Officials said 32 people were later released, but some injuries were serious, as per CBS News quoting Executive Director Kathryn Garcia. One of the passengers suffered a Brain bleed, while most got away with broken bones and bruises. A flight attendant was seriously injured after the seat she was strapped to slipped through a hole in the damaged plane.

With the audio recordings, authorities have ruled out a possible terror operation or any other foul play behind the incident. The black box of the plane, along with the cockpit recorder has been retrieved. The airport was closed after the crash, and the Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop until at least 2 p.m. Monday. At the same time, air traffic control was handling another emergency involving a United Airlines flight that reported an odor in the cabin.

Air traffic control mistake

Fire-rescue crews were responding to that separate United flight issue when the crash happened. Air traffic control had cleared the rescue vehicle to cross the runway and then told it to stop, as per the report by CBS News. An air traffic controller later said, “I messed up,” while speaking to another pilot after the crash. A pilot from a Frontier Airlines flight nearby said the accident was “not good to watch.”

A veteran pilot called the incident “very concerning” and said it is unusual to have emergency vehicles on the runway during landing. The plane was arriving from Montreal and had already landed when it hit the vehicle. The aircraft, a CRJ-900, suffered heavy damage, especially at the front. A passenger from another flight said he saw the plane missing its nose after the crash.

Crash investigation begins

The National Transportation Safety Board sent a team to investigate. Investigators will review air traffic recordings, radar data, and cockpit audio. The investigation is expected to take 12 to 18 months, as cited by CBS News. Investigators will check if there was a communication failure that allowed the vehicle on the runway.

They will also examine whether the air traffic controller was working alone. The rescue truck involved was responding to reports of an odor on another plane when it was struck, as noted by NBC News. Authorities warned that the airport closure could continue while the investigation is ongoing. Police advised people to avoid the area around the airport.

FAQs

Q1. What caused the crash at LaGuardia Airport?

The crash happened when an Air Canada plane hit a fire-rescue truck on the runway, and investigators are checking possible communication issues.

Q2. How many people were injured in the Air Canada crash?

Officials said 41 people were taken to hospitals, and many were later released after treatment.