NEW YORK (AP) — A jet landing at New York City’s LaGuardia Airport collided with a fire truck on the runway, killing the pilot and copilot and injuring several others. Here’s what you need to know:
What happened?
The crash occurred around 11:45 p.m. on Sunday when an Air Canada regional jet arriving from Montreal struck an airport fire truck traveling across the runway to respond to a separate incident aboard another plane.
According to air traffic control audio, the pilot of that other plane — United Flight 2384 — reported a “weird odor” was causing flight attendants to feel ill while the plane was waiting to take off. The pilot declared an emergency and requested to return to a gate and for firefighters to respond.
Audio recordings from the airport control tower indicate the truck was initially cleared to cross the runway before a controller tried to pull it back to avoid a collision. The unnamed controller repeatedly told the vehicle to stop and diverted incoming aircraft from landing. He said later in the recording: “I messed up.”
Photos and videos from the crash’s aftermath show the jet’s nose crushed and tilted upward, with debris hanging from the mangled cockpit. Stairways used to evacuate passengers were pushed up to the emergency exits and the damaged emergency vehicle lay on its side nearby.
Weather at the time of the crash included moderate winds of about 7 knots and visibility of around 4 miles (6.5 kilometers) with mist and fog conditions, according to Bryan Bedford, head of the Federal Aviation Administration.
Who was hurt or killed?
The pilot and copilot were the only confirmed fatalities of the roughly 70 passengers and four crew members on board the Jazz Aviation 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 Forest of Canada.
About 40 passengers and crew members were also taken to area hospitals, some with serious injuries, the authority said. Most were released as of Monday morning.
Two emergency responders traveling in the fire truck also suffered non-life-threatening injuries. One was expected to be released later Monday, while the other will spend another night in the hospital, according to Kathryn Garcia, head of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport.
Among the survivors was a flight attendant who was thrown from the plane while still strapped in her seat. Solange Tremblay suffered multiple fractures to her leg that require surgery but is miraculously OK, according to her daughter.
How was air travel impacted?
LaGuardia was shut down following Sunday’s crash and all air traffic was diverted. It reopened Monday afternoon but with just one runway in operation and significant delays.
The crash and temporary closure were the latest misery for U.S. airports struggling under a partial shutdown over government funding during the busy spring break season.
LaGuardia is a major transit hub — the 19th busiest out of more than 500 airports in the country in 2024, according to the FAA.
Sunday’s crash was the first fatal accident at the airport in more than 30 years, New York officials said.
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, some 9 miles (14 kilometers) from Manhattan.
What caused the crash?
Federal investigators said late Monday it was too soon to answer many questions about the accident but promised more information would be released Tuesday.
Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the investigation, said investigators will analyze the plane’s cockpit and flight data recorders, which were recovered from the wreck undamaged.
She said the runway where the crash happened is likely to be closed for days as investigators sift through a “tremendous amount of debris.”
Canada has also sent a team to look into the circumstances of the collision.
Staff shortages in air traffic control rooms scrutinized
The crash underscores the challenges air traffic controllers have faced in recent years.
Controllers are required to report to work without pay during government funding shutdowns as they are considered essential workers. But some over the years have taken to calling out of work sick in frustration, leading to staffing shortages that cause flight delays.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Monday declined to say how many controllers were on duty at the time of Sunday’s crash, deferring instead to the ongoing NTSB investigation.
But he denied rumors that the tower had only one controller on duty and said LaGuardia is “very well staffed,” with 33 certified controllers and more in training. He said the goal is to have 37 on staff.
Did the government shutdown play a role?
Air traffic controllers are not directly affected by the current shutdown, which has lasted more than a month and has caused long lines and frustration among travelers at airports across the country.
Hundreds of Transportation Security Administration agents have called in sick or quit their jobs rather than be forced to work without pay. President Donald Trump, in response, deployed immigration enforcement officers to supplement TSA agents on Monday.
Congress remains deadlocked over approving funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the TSA.
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Associated Press reporter Michael R. Sisak in New York contributed to this story.
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Follow Philip Marcelo at https://x.com/philmarcelo
Philip Marcelo, The Associated Press
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