Two people were killed when an Air Canada plane collided with a fire truck on runway 4 at New York’s LaGuardia airport last night. CNN writes this quoting a law enforcement official. The pilot and co-pilot of the aircraft lost their lives, while thirteen other people were injured.
The reconstruction of the accident
Air Canada Flight 8646 was operated by regional carrier Jazz. According to videos and audio from the Federal Aviation Administration, it collided shortly after landing with a truck on a runway at the airport around 11.30pm yesterday local time (5.30am in Italy) and suffered damage.
The plane departed Montreal Trudeau International Airport shortly after 10.30pm. Air traffic control audio captured the moments leading up to the collision between the plane and the vehicle.
In the recording, an air traffic controller gives permission for a truck to cross a runway. A few seconds later, he realizes the mistake and tries several times in vain to stop the vehicle. Among the injured were two firefighters who were on the truck.
Flights at New York’s LaGuardia airport have therefore been suspended since this morning. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a ground-lock order for the airport, saying there was a high likelihood of extending the order. The nature of the accident has not been specified at this time.
New York’s Emergency Management Authority warned the public to “expect cancellations, road closures, traffic delays and emergency personnel” near the major transportation hub in the borough of Queens. “Use alternative routes,” he recommended. All flights out of LaGuardia were delayed or canceled as of this morning, as reported on the airport’s website.