An Air Canada Express jet collided with a fire truck while landing at New York’s LaGuardia airport late on Sunday, killing both pilots, injuring dozens and closing the facility, authorities said. The Air Canada Express CRJ-900 plane, operated by its regional partner Jazz Aviation, was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members and had departed from Montreal, said Jazz, which is owned by Chorus Aviation. Jazz and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey confirmed that the pilot and first officer were killed.
A separate 35-minute ground stop at nearby Newark Liberty International on Monday morning added to delays after air-traffic controllers evacuated their tower because of a burning smell from an elevator, the FAA said. “Today is an incredibly difficult day for our airline, our employees, and most importantly, the families and loved ones of those affected by the accident involving flight 8646,” said Jazz President Doug Clarke. Kathryn Garcia, executive director of the Port Authority, said 32 of the 41 injured had been released, while nine remained in hospital with “serious injuries.” U.S.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at least two Port Authority firefighters sustained serious injuries. Aviation safety experts say investigators would look at air traffic control staffing levels and the actions of both the controller and truck crew. “The Air Canada jet was obviously cleared to land and from the radio transmissions, it appears that the airport rescue and firefighting vehicle was cleared.
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There are a lot of questions now regarding the communications,” said U.S. safety expert Anthony Brickhouse. “Communication is going to be a major part of this investigation.” Air-crash investigations typically find that accidents result from multiple contributing factors, rather than a single cause.
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