Air Canada Plane Collides with Fire Truck at LaGuardia Airport
Passengers aboard the Air Canada flight involved in a tragic collision with a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport on Sunday night recounted the chaotic moments surrounding the incident, noting that the pilot “did the best he could.”
Jack Cabot, who was one of the 72 passengers on the Air Canada Express, described the “chaos” that erupted during landing. “We came down hard,” he said. “It was sudden. We stopped right away, but then, just a couple of seconds later, there was a huge jolt. People were thrown around, and the plane started swerving left and right. It was just madness.” Cabot added, “It felt like no one was in control at that moment. Looking back, the pilot really did all he could. He slammed on the brakes hard, probably knowing it could cost him everything.”
Both pilots tragically lost their lives in the incident. While their names have not been disclosed, the union representing them mentioned that these individuals “dedicated their careers to the safe transport of passengers.” There were 72 passengers and four crew members in total on the CRJ-900.
Cabot reported that many fellow passengers were injured, with several bleeding from head wounds. “A lot of people were pretty hurt,” he recalled, as more than 39 passengers and crew members, alongside at least two firefighters from the Port Authority, were taken to hospitals for treatment, with some suffering serious injuries.
President Donald Trump addressed the fatal crash during a media briefing on Monday morning. He simply stated, “They made a mistake,” without specifying who he meant, adding, “This is a dangerous business. It’s terrible.”
Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney indicated that Canadian authorities were collaborating closely with U.S. officials to investigate the “very sad” accident. The exact circumstances leading to the collision are still unclear.
A spokesperson for the Port Authority noted that their Air Rescue Fire Vehicle was responding to a separate incident when the Air Canada plane landed on Runway 4 at LaGuardia. In recordings from air traffic control just before the collision, controllers can be heard urgently trying to prevent emergency vehicles from crossing the runway.
One transmission included, “Stop, Truck 1. Stop,” followed by, “Frontier 4195, please stop there. Stop, stop, stop.” Another controller is heard imploring, “Truck 1, stop, stop, stop! Please stop Car 1!” In a different clip, a controller addressed the pilot of another plane, stating, “You failed.”
The investigation into the crash is under the purview of the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration. LaGuardia Airport is expected to remain closed until at least 2 p.m. on Monday, according to officials.
