NEW YORK (WABC) — The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating after an Air Canada plane collided with a Port Authority fire truck late Sunday night, killing the pilot and co-pilot and injuring more than a dozen late Sunday night.
Preliminary data shows that Air Canada Express flight #AC8646 had landed on Runway 4 and was rolling down the runway when it collided with the truck crossing the runway.
Firefighters say they responded to the collision at 11:38 p.m. on Sunday.
Based on an air traffic control recording, the truck had requested permission and had been cleared by the air traffic controller to cross Runway 4 at taxiway Delta. Shortly after, the air traffic controller tells the vehicle to stop several times right before the collision.
“Stop, Truck 1. Stop,” the transmission says. The controller can then be heard frantically diverting an incoming aircraft from landing.
John Del Giorno provides context.
Eyewitness News’ aviation expert John Del Giorno explained why plane and emergency truck crossed paths in the first place.
“LaGuardia operates with four main runways,” Del Giorno said: “The fire truck was responding to a separate incident on the field at that time. There was a United airplane that was taking off on Runway 13. That airplane had an aborted takeoff with some sort of odor in the cabin. The pilot pulled over and requested emergency assistance. That’s where the fire truck was going at the time this accident happened … Those movements are completely governed by ATC … permission has to be granted for that emergency vehicle to move.”
Photos and videos from the scene showed severe damage to the front of the aircraft, with cables and debris hanging from a mangled cockpit. Nearby, the damaged emergency vehicle lay on its side.
The sheared-off cockpit caused the plane to tilt backwards when it came to a stop.
“The cockpit is disintegrated. It’s a terrible accident.” Del Giorno said. “If it was at full speed, the damage would have actually been worse to the airplane and to the fire truck.”
Many questions remain about what exactly is to blame for the collision, as there may have been multiple points of failure in several safety systems.
There are taxiway lights embedded in the runway that indicate when it’s safe for planes and other vehicles to move — that system operates independently of air traffic control, Del Giorno said.
LaGuardia Airport is closed until at least 2 p.m. as NTSB investigates.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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