By Theodore Brown-
Two people have been killed and several others were badly injured after an Air Canada regional jet struck a fire engine on a runway while landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, officials said. The pilot and co-pilot were killed in the collision, which crushed the nose of the aircraft, while 41 passengers and crew members were taken to hospital, some with serious injuries. Thirty-two have been released and nine are still receiving treatment, some with serious injuries.
The Bombardier CRJ-900 twin-jet aircraft took off from Montreal at 10.12pm ET last night (2.12am UK time); It landed at LaGuardia around 90 minutes later at 11.40pm ET (3.40am UK time);
LaGuardia Airport is closed while investigations take place, with no flights in or out of the airport until at least 2pm ET (6pm UK time.
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In the moments before the crash, an air traffic controller could be heard on a radio transmission giving clearance to a vehicle to cross part of the tarmac, then trying to stop it. “Stop, Truck 1. Stop,” the transmission says. The controller can then be heard frantically diverting incoming aircraft from landing. Air traffic control audio shared by NBC New York revealed the moments leading up to the collision, which began with another flight reporting an emergency on the other side of the airport.
Air traffic controllers told the Frontier crew that the runway would be closed, asking if they would like to return to the ramp.
‘We got stuff in progress for that man, that wasn’t good to watch,’ a Frontier pilot said.
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‘Yeah, I tried to reach out to them. We were dealing with an emergency, and I messed up,’ the controller replied, before the Frontier pilot tries to reassure him, saying: ‘No, you did the best you could.’
The fire truck was cleared to cross the airport’s Runway 4 before air traffic controllers frantically urged a Frontier plane bound for Miami – and the vehicle – to stop.
Damage tom plane according to the city’s Notify NYC alert service.
Air traffic controllers told the Frontier crew that the runway would be closed, asking if they would like to return to the ramp.
‘We got stuff in progress for that man, that wasn’t good to watch,’ a Frontier pilot said.
‘Yeah, I tried to reach out to them. We were dealing with an emergency, and I messed up,’ the controller replied, before the Frontier pilot tries to reassure him, saying: ‘No, you did the best you could.’
A flight attendant was later found by Port Authority Police outside the aircraft still strapped into her jump seat, according to two sources that spoke to NBC News.
One of the sources said the engines appeared to be off when responders arrived.
Kathryn Garcia, the Port Authority executive director told a news conference that the vehicle was responding to another aircraft that had reported an issue with odour.
The crash occurred while the aircraft was landing, the Port Authority’s executive director said. In response to a question about whether air traffic controller shortages could have had an impact, Garcia referred to the National Transportation Safety Board “who will make that determination on who was in the control tower at the time”.
“We’re going to leave that to be part of the investigation at this time,” Garcia told reporters.
US aviation authorities ordered all flights at the airport to be grounded, adding there was a “high” likelihood of an extended suspension. “The airport is currently closed to facilitate the response and allow for a thorough investigation,” the port authority said in a statement to AFP. Emergency response protocols had been “immediately activated,” it said.
According to the city’s Notify NYC alert service, all entrances and exits to LaGuardia Airport along Grand Central Parkway have reopened, although, the alert points out that drivers should “expect residual delays” in the area.
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