New York — A passenger plane lands at LaGuardia Airport in New York City It collided with a fire truck On the runway, killing the pilot and his co-pilot and wounding a number of others. Here’s what you need to know:
The accident occurred around 11:45 p.m. Sunday when an Air Canada regional plane arriving from Montreal collided with an airport fire engine that was traveling across the runway to respond to a separate incident on another plane.
According to air traffic control audio, the pilot of that other plane — United Flight 2384 — reported a “strange odor” that caused flight attendants to feel ill while waiting for the plane to take off. The pilot declared an emergency and requested to return to the gate and for firefighters to respond.
Audio recordings Airport control tower data indicates the truck was initially allowed to cross the runway before a controller attempted to pull it back to avoid a collision. The unnamed controller repeatedly asked the car to stop and diverted the incoming plane from landing. “I made a mistake,” he later said in the recording.
Photos and videos The aftermath of the crash shows the plane’s nose was crushed and tilted upward, with debris hanging from the mangled cockpit. The stairs used to evacuate passengers were pushed to the emergency exits, and the damaged emergency vehicle was lying on its side nearby.
The weather at the time of the accident included moderate winds of about 7 knots and visibility of about 4 miles (6.5 kilometers) with fog and haze conditions, Federal Aviation Administration Chief Brian Bedford said.
The pilot and co-pilot were the only confirmed deaths of about 70 passengers and four crew members on the Jazz flight, which was operating on behalf of Air Canada.
Their names have not been released by officials, but a family member identified one of them as Antoine Forrest of Canada.
About 40 passengers and crew members were also taken to area hospitals, some with serious injuries, the authority said. Most of them were released by Monday morning.
Two emergency responders traveling in the fire engine also suffered non-life-threatening injuries. One is expected to be released later Monday, while the other will spend another night in the hospital, according to Katherine Garcia, president of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the airport.
Among the survivors was a flight attendant who was thrown from the plane while it was stationary Strapped into her seat. Solange Tremblay suffered multiple fractures to her leg that required surgery but is miraculously fine, according to her daughter.
LaGuardia was closed after the plane crash on Sunday and all air traffic was diverted. It reopened on Monday afternoon but with only one runway in operation and major delays.
The accident and temporary closure were the latest misery for U.S. airports struggling in partial shade Closing due to government funding During the busy spring break season.
LaGuardia Airport is a major public transportation hub, ranked as the 19th busiest airport out of more than 500 airports in the country in 2024, according to Federal Aviation Administration.
New York officials said Sunday’s accident was the first fatal accident at the airport in more than 30 years.
LaGuardia, named after Depression-era Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, opened to commercial traffic in 1939 and is located in the New York City borough of Queens, about 9 miles (14 km) from Manhattan.
Federal investigators said late Monday that it was too early to answer many questions about the incident, but they promised to release more information on Tuesday.
Investigators will analyze the plane’s cockpit and flight data recorders, which were recovered from the wreckage undamaged, said Jennifer Homendy, head of the National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the investigation.
She said the runway where the accident occurred would likely be closed for several days while investigators examined a “tremendous amount of debris.”
Canada also sent a team to look into the circumstances of the collision.
Air traffic controllers are not directly affected by the current closure, which has lasted more than a month and caused it Long queues and frustration among travelers At airports across the country.
Hundreds of TSA agents have called in sick or Quit their jobs Instead of having to Unpaid work. In response, President Donald Trump, Deployment of immigration enforcement officers To supplement TSA agents on Monday.
Congress remains deadlocked over approving funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Transportation Security Administration.
The accident Highlights challenges Air traffic controllers have encountered this problem in recent years.
Supervisors are required to report for unpaid work During the shutdown of government funding They are considered essential workers. But over the years some people have become accustomed to stopping work due to frustration, which has led to… Staff shortage Which causes flight delays.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Monday declined to say how many observers were on duty at the time of Sunday’s accident, referring instead to the ongoing NTSB investigation.
But he denied rumors that the tower only has one observer on duty, and said LaGuardia is “extremely well equipped,” with 33 certified observers and more in training. The goal is to have 37 employees, he said.
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Associated Press reporter Michael R. Sisak is in New York writing this story.
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Follow Philippe Marcelo at https://x.com/philmarcelo