In LaGuardia Crash That Killed 2, Call to ‘Stop!’ Came Too Late
The New York Times • • business
Key Points:
- Two pilots were killed and dozens injured when an Air Canada Express jet collided with a fire truck on a LaGuardia Airport runway late Sunday night, marking the first fatal collision at the airport in 34 years.
- The fire truck was responding to a United Airlines plane reporting a cabin odor issue, with flight attendants feeling ill, when the crash occurred at 11:37 p.m.
- The collision caused significant disruption, shutting down one of New York City's busiest airports and worsening flight delays amid a partial federal government shutdown.
- The FAA is investigating whether an air traffic controller was distracted by the United Airlines incident at the time of the crash, with the National Transportation Safety Board beginning an official inquiry.
- The impact was severe enough to eject a flight attendant from the plane, who landed on the runway still strapped to her seat.
