Air traffic control audio captured the final moments before a deadly collision at LaGuardia Airport in New York, as a controller desperately tried to stop a fire truck crossing the runway.
“Stop, stop, stop, Truck 1. Stop, stop, stop,” the controller is heard saying, moments before an incoming aircraft struck the vehicle. The controller later admitted: “We were dealing with an emergency earlier… I messed up.”
Collision kills pilot and co-pilot An Air Canada regional jet, operated by Jazz Aviation, collided with the fire truck while landing late Sunday night.
-Pilot and co-pilot were killed
-Over 70 passengers were onboard
-Several passengers and crew were injured
Around 40 people from the aircraft and two from the fire truck were taken to hospitals, with most later released.
Emergency response triggered disaster The fire truck had been cleared to cross the runway to inspect a separate United Airlines flight that had reported an onboard odor.
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:
-The aircraft’s nose crushed and cockpit mangled
-Debris and cables hanging from the front section
-The fire truck overturned, heavily damaged at the rear
The aircraft had departed from Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.
Airport shutdown and widespread disruption The crash forced the closure of LaGuardia, one of the region’s busiest airports.
-Over 600 flights were cancelled
-Operations halted until at least Monday afternoon
-Disruptions worsened by ongoing US government shutdown
-Investigations underway
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the probe, with assistance from Canadian authorities.
(With Reuters inputs)
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