What we know about the LaGuardia plane and fire truck crash

Two pilots lost their lives in the collision between a passenger jet and a Port Authority fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night. Their identities have been confirmed as Antoine Forest and Mackenzie Gunther, according to Canadian news outlets and a college linked to one of the pilots. Authorities have not yet officially announced their names, but they stated that both individuals were based in Canada.

Crash Investigation Underway

The Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, and other agencies are examining the incident. Investigators are focusing on how the fire truck managed to cross the jet’s path shortly after landing. Preliminary data from the cockpit voice recorder, shared at a Tuesday news conference, revealed the truck was cleared to cross the runway 20 seconds before the crash.

“The firetruck was cleared to cross the runway 20 seconds before the crash,” said Doug Brazy, NTSB’s senior aviation investigator.

Brazy noted that at 2 minutes and 22 seconds, the flight crew contacted LaGuardia tower. Earlier, at 2 minutes and 17 seconds, the plane was given clearance to land on Runway 4. At 1 minute and 3 seconds, an airport vehicle transmitted a request to the tower, but the message was interrupted by another radio call.

“That means there was some sort of interference with the transmission,” Homendy explained.

Homendy added that the tower informed the crew the plane was at a stable approach 54 seconds before impact. At 40 seconds, the tower asked which vehicle needed to cross the runway, acknowledging the fire truck’s request. The truck was granted permission to cross at 25 seconds, and the clearance was confirmed at 17 seconds.

By 9 seconds before the crash, the tower instructed the fire truck to stop. Just moments later, at 8 seconds, there was a sound matching the plane’s landing gear touching down. At 6 seconds, a pilot transfer occurred, with Homendy stating the first officer handed control to the captain.

Controllers’ Roles in the Crash

Homendy highlighted that two people were operating the tower cabin during the incident: a local controller and the lead controller. The local controller oversees active runways and nearby airspace, while the lead controller is responsible for overall safety operations and clearance delivery duties.

“We have conflicting information. Some say it was the lead controller, others claim it was the local controller,” Homendy noted.

Homendy mentioned that it is standard practice to have two controllers during the midnight shift across national airspace. However, she expressed past concerns about fatigue affecting performance during this time. “I do not know, I have no indication that was a factor here,” she said, “but this shift has been a focus in previous investigations.”

Impact on Passengers and Crew

The pilots are credited with minimizing the crash’s damage, quickly braking to reduce the impact as the plane collided with the fire truck during landing. Over 40 individuals received medical attention, mostly for minor injuries, though several remain hospitalized with more severe conditions.

Jack Cabot, a 22-year-old passenger on the Canada Air flight, shared his experience. He described feeling the pilots’ efforts to slow the plane as it approached the collision. Cabot suffered a cheek bruise and neck soreness after his head struck the seat in front, but he remained conscious throughout the event.