An aircraft controller acknowledged making an error that led to a collision between a plane and a firefighting vehicle at an airport, resulting in the deaths of two pilots and injuries to numerous individuals.
Audio recordings from LiveATC exposed a conversation among air traffic controllers at New York’s LaGuardia Airport following the tragic incident on Sunday night. One controller expressed regret, stating, “That wasn’t good to watch,” while another admitted fault, saying, “Yeah, I know I was here. I tried to reach out. We were dealing with an emergency earlier. I messed up.”
The Air Canada jet, carrying 72 passengers and four crew members, collided with the firefighting vehicle during its landing at Queens’ airport, which is part of New York City. The Jazz Aviation flight, operated on behalf of Air Canada, had departed from Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.
The firefighting vehicle had been authorized by an air traffic controller to respond to a United Airlines aircraft reporting an onboard odor. Tragically, the controller was heard urgently instructing the vehicle to stop just before the collision occurred.
Efforts were made to divert the incoming Bombardier CRJ from landing. Following the crash, approximately 40 passengers and crew members were transported to hospitals, some with severe injuries. By Monday morning, most of them had been released, according to authorities.
Visual evidence depicted significant damage to the jet’s nose, with cables and debris hanging from the cockpit. The deceased pilot and co-pilot were both Canadian-based, as confirmed by Kathryn Garcia, the executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Two Port Authority personnel in the firefighting vehicle sustained injuries that were deemed non-life-threatening, Garcia reported.
Reacting to the incident, New York Governor Kathy Hochul expressed her condolences, stating, “Heartbreaking news out of LaGuardia this morning.” She extended sympathies to the victims, their families, and all affected individuals and announced the closure of the airport until 2:00 PM for further investigations and updates.
The National Transportation Safety Board has taken charge of the crash investigation.
