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Developing news from the Air Canada Express flight that crashed into an airport firefighting truck on landing at 
LaGuardia Airport (LGA), identifies that a flight attendant was thrown more than 320 feet (100 meters) from the aircraft following the impact, and was found alive, and still strapped into her seat, which had ejected from the plane.
The incident, which occurred on the evening of March 22, occurred when the Air Canada Express CRJ900 landed on the runway at LGA and was traveling at 100 miles (160 kilometers) per hour, when the cockpit struck the airport firefighting truck. Both pilots were killed, and 41 passengers and crew were taken to nearby hospitals.
Investigations Are Underway Into Flight AC8646
Photos shared show the immense impact the aircraft encountered, where the front cockpit appears to be obliterated as it came into contact with the firefighting truck. The truck itself is also reported to be nothing but a ‘mangled mess’ by 7News. 72 passengers and four crew were onboard the flight, while two officers were on the fire truck at the time of the incident.
Air traffic control recordings have since identified the terrifying moments leading to the crash, where an ATC controller is heard desperately warning aircraft in an attempt to stop the collision. An excerpt includes “Frontier 4195, just stop there, please. Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop. Stop truck one, stop. Stop truck one, stop.”
Initial reports from investigators have linked human error as the cause of the crash, and will continue to focus on why vehicle clearance was given to the firefighting truck in the moments the Air Canada Express flight was landing at LaGuardia after its non-stop flight from Montreal. The aircraft involved was C-GNJZ (serial number 15052), a 20-year-old CRJ900LR that was first introduced to the carrier’s fleet on September 16, 2005.
A Miracle: The Flight Attendant Survived
As identified by French Canadian media outlet TVA Nouvelles, the flight attendant was Solange Tremblay, and miraculously survived being ejected more than 100 meters from the aircraft. Her daughter, Sarah Lépine, spoke with TVA on Monday in an exclusive interview and noted that her mother was strapped in and seated behind the pilots for landing.
Air Canada has a total of 30 Bombardier CRJ900 (CR9) aircraft in its fleet, which are operated by Jazz Aviation. The aircraft can accommodate a total of 72 passengers, 12 in business, and 60 in economy class. The flight is served by two pilots and two flight attendants.
Fortunately, following Tremblay’s ejection from the plane, she was found alive and still strapped to her seat. Tremblay was taken to the hospital, where she had to undergo surgery for a broken leg and other minor fractures. Her status is stable. Translated from French, Lépine explained:
“At the moment of impact, her seat was ejected more than a hundred meters from the plane. They found her, and she was still strapped into her seat. She had a guardian angel watching over her. It could have been much worse.”
Breaking: Air Canada CRJ-900 Collides With Fire Truck At LaGuardia, 2 Fatalities Reported
Authorities have confirmed the sad news that both of the aircraft’s pilots lost their lives in the crash,
LaGuardia Airport Set To Reopen At 2:00 pm
Following the incident, NBC reports that 32 of the 41 injured on the flight have now been released from the hospital. The two officers on the firetruck are also expected to be released soon. The airport remained closed overnight and is now expected at the earliest to reopen for flights at 2:00 pm. This could change and be extended. Police continue to warn people to avoid the area.
This marks the deadliest crash at LaGuardia in more than three decades, with the last deadly flight being USAir Flight 405. This flight was operating from LGA to Cleveland, where it crashed after having ice on its wings. This saw 27 people killed of the 51 on board.
Air Canada, and its regional subsidiary Air Canada Express, operate a number of services from Canada to New York, with LGA seeing non-stop flights from Toronto Pearson and Montreal. The airline is also planning on introducing non-stop flights from Toronto Island (YTZ) starting next week, on March 29.
