New York’A deadly collision occurred late on Sunday night when an Air Canada Express regional jet struck a Port Authority fire truck on a runway at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. The incident happened around 11:45 pm as the aircraft from Montreal landed on runway four and hit the emergency vehicle that was crossing to respond to a separate odour emergency on another flight.
Both pilots died in the impact that crushed the nose of the jet while forty one passengers and crew members suffered injuries and received hospital treatment along with two occupants of the fire truck who sustained non life threatening harm.
The flight designated AC8646 and operated by Jazz Aviation carried seventy two passengers and four crew. Air traffic control audio captured urgent warnings to stop the vehicle moments before the collision yet the aircraft could not avoid the truck. Surveillance footage shows the jet slamming into the vehicle causing significant damage to the front section of the plane and overturning the fire truck. LaGuardia Airport closed for several hours resulting in widespread delays and cancellations before it reopened on Monday afternoon at reduced capacity.
One of the pilots has been identified as first officer Antoine Forest a thirty year old pilot from Coteau du Lac in Quebec who began his flying career at the age of sixteen. The identity of the captain remains unreleased by Air Canada and Jazz Aviation pending notification of families. Both pilots were based in Canada and had relatively early stage careers according to aviation officials.
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration have begun examining the runway incursion with the cockpit voice recorder recovered. Preliminary details point to a breakdown in coordination during the response to the earlier incident on the United Airlines flight. No passengers died in the crash and many have praised the crew for their handling of the final moments that likely prevented a more catastrophic outcome.
The tragedy has prompted renewed scrutiny of ground movement procedures at busy United States airports during emergency responses. Air Canada has expressed deep sorrow and is cooperating fully with the ongoing probe while offering support to affected families and passengers.
