Air Canada crash (Images/X)
The Air Canada Express CRJ-900, operated by Jazz Aviation, struck a Port Authority aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle around 11.40 pm (local time) while landing on Runway 4, according to officials. An audio clip from the cockpit has revealed the final moments before an Air Canada Express plane collided with a fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. The truck had been responding to a separate incident involving another aircraft that had reported an issue. Authorities confirmed that the pilot and co-pilot of the aircraft were killed in the collision.
Stop,” the controller says multiple times, moments before informing another aircraft that a collision had occurred on the runway. The accident killed both the pilot and co-pilot and forced the airport to shut down. In the audio, controllers can be heard repeatedly warning a vehicle to halt. “Stop. Emergency responders were immediately dispatched and the runway along with the entire airport, was shut down to manage the situation. Several others were injured, including personnel inside the fire truck, though passengers on board the flight largely avoided major injuries. The audio also reveals the rapid escalation of the situation, with repeated announcements that the runway and eventually LaGuardia Airport had been closed, as emergency vehicles rushed to the scene.
Initial reports suggest the fire truck had been cleared to cross the runway, but the exact sequence of events leading to the collision remains under investigation. Improving communication systems Enhancing pilot training Upgrading emergency protocols Conducting thorough investigations