What we know about the LaGuardia plane and fire truck crash
What we know about the LaGuardia plane and fire truck crash
Two pilots who lost their lives in the collision between a passenger jet and a Port Authority fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport late Sunday have been named as Antoine Forest and Mackenzie Gunther. While authorities have not yet officially announced their identities, Canadian media and a college associated with one of the pilots have confirmed their names. The plane they were operating, a Canada Air Express aircraft, was involved in the incident, with both pilots based in Canada.
Investigation into the crash
The Federal Aviation Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board, and other agencies are conducting an inquiry to uncover the cause of the collision. A key focus is determining how the fire truck managed to cross the jet’s path shortly after it landed on the runway. Preliminary data from the cockpit voice recorder, shared at a Tuesday afternoon news conference, provides insight into the sequence of events.
“The fire truck was cleared to cross the runway 20 seconds before the crash,” said Doug Brazy, NTSB’s senior aviation investigator. “At 2 minutes and 22 seconds, the flight crew contacted the tower, and at 2 minutes and 17 seconds, the tower authorized the plane to land on Runway 4.”
Brazy noted that at 1 minute and 3 seconds, an airport vehicle made a radio call to the tower, but the transmission was “stepped on” by another signal. NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy explained that this suggests interference disrupted the communication. The tower then advised the plane was at a stable approach at 54 seconds before the crash.
Timeline of the incident
At 40 seconds, the tower asked which vehicle needed to cross the runway. The fire truck responded, and the tower acknowledged the request. The truck then requested permission to cross Runway 4 at 25 seconds, with the tower granting clearance 20 seconds later. According to Brazy, the fire truck read back the instruction at 17 seconds.
Homendy revealed that the tower instructed a Frontier Airlines flight to hold position and told the fire truck to stop at 9 seconds. At 8 seconds, the sound of landing gear touching down was recorded, followed by a pilot handover of controls at 6 seconds. She added that the first officer was flying the plane before transferring control to the captain.
Further details show the tower again told the fire truck to stop at 4 seconds. Homendy emphasized the roles of the two controllers in the tower cabin: one managing active runways and airspace, the other overseeing all safety operations. She noted that the clearance delivery duties, typically handled by a separate ground controller, were split between the two individuals during the crash.
Conflicting information and concerns
Homendy highlighted conflicting reports about who was responsible for the ground controller’s duties. “Some sources indicate it was the controller in charge, while others point to the local controller,” she said. Despite this, she stated that it’s standard practice to have two controllers during the midnight shift across national airspace. However, the NTSB has previously raised concerns about fatigue affecting performance during this time.
The local controller logged in at 10:45 p.m., while the controller in charge arrived at 10:30 p.m. The crash resulted in 72 passengers and two crew members surviving, thanks to the pilots’ quick reaction to minimize impact. Over 40 individuals were treated for injuries, with most recovering from minor harm, though some remain hospitalized with severe wounds.
Jack Cabot, a 22-year-old passenger returning from a spring break ski trip, shared his experience. “From my seat in the 18th row, I could feel the pilots trying to slow the plane just before the collision,” he told NBC News. He sustained a cheek bruise and neck soreness after his head struck the seat in front, but he believes the pilots’ actions likely saved lives.
