Air traffic control audio captured the final moments before a deadly collision at New York’s LaGuardia Airport as a controller desperately tried to stop a fire truck crossing the runway.
“Stop, stop, stop, truck 1. Stop, stop, stop,” the controller can be heard saying moments before the vehicle was hit by an incoming plane. The controller later admitted, “We were dealing with an emergency before… I made a mistake.”
The crash kills the pilot and co-pilot
An Air Canada regional jet operated by Jazz Aviation collided with a fire truck while landing late Sunday night.
-The pilot and co-pilot were killed
-There were over 70 passengers on board
-Several passengers and crew were injured
About 40 people from the plane and two from the fire truck were taken to hospitals, most were later released.
The emergency response created a disaster
A fire truck was cleared to cross the runway to check on a separate United Airlines flight that reported an odor on board.
Investigators are now focusing on coordination between ground vehicles and air traffic control during the emergency response.
Scenes of devastation
Images from the crash site showed:
– Crushed nose of the plane and broken cockpit
-Dirt and cables hanging from the front
-Fire truck overturned, badly damaged at rear
The plane departed from Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.
Airport shutdown and extensive traffic disruption
The crash forced the closure of LaGuardia, one of the region’s busiest airports.
– More than 600 flights were cancelled
-Operation stopped until at least Monday afternoon
-The disruption was exacerbated by the ongoing US government shutdown
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation with the assistance of Canadian authorities.
