What we know about the LaGuardia plane and fire truck crash
LaGuardia Plane and Fire Truck Collision Details Emerge
Authorities have confirmed the identities of the two pilots who perished in the mid-air collision involving a passenger jet and a Port Authority fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. Identified as Antoine Forest and Mackenzie Gunther, the pilots were part of a Canada Air Express flight that crashed late Sunday night. While the official naming of the victims has not yet been announced, Canadian media and a university associated with one of the pilots have corroborated their identities.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are conducting an investigation to uncover the cause of the incident. Central to the inquiry is how the fire truck managed to cross the jet’s path shortly after the plane landed. A detailed timeline from the cockpit voice recorder, shared by NTSB’s senior aviation investigator Doug Brazy, highlights critical moments leading to the crash.
Sequence of Events from Cockpit Recorder
According to Brazy, the final three minutes of the flight’s audio log reveal a sequence of radio transmissions. At 2 minutes and 22 seconds, the crew communicated with the LaGuardia tower. Twenty minutes prior, the tower had granted the fire truck permission to enter the runway. At 1 minute and 3 seconds, a vehicle made a radio call, but the transmission was “stepped on” by another, as noted by NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy. This interference suggests possible communication issues during the critical phase.
“There was some sort of interference with the transmission,” Homendy said.
At 54 seconds, the tower informed the crew the plane was on a stable approach. Then, at 40 seconds, the tower asked which vehicle required runway clearance. The fire truck responded, and the tower acknowledged its request. By 25 seconds, the truck sought permission to cross Runway 4, which was granted at 20 seconds. The pilot read back the clearance at 17 seconds, but just nine seconds later, the tower ordered the fire truck to stop. At 8 seconds, the plane’s landing gear touched down, followed by a pilot handover of controls at 6 seconds.
“The first officer was flying the plane and transferred control to the captain,” Homendy explained.
The NTSB is still determining which controller managed the ground operations, as the roles of the tower’s local controller and the lead controller remain unclear. Homendy noted that conflicting reports indicate the responsibility could have rested with either individual. She also highlighted that dual staffing is standard during midnight shifts across national airspace, though past investigations have raised concerns about fatigue during this time.
Despite the tragedy, the pilots are credited with mitigating the crash’s severity. Their quick reaction helped reduce the impact, saving the lives of 72 passengers and two crew members. Over 40 individuals sustained injuries, with most receiving minor treatment and later being released. Jack Cabot, a 22-year-old passenger, described the moment of impact from his seat in row 18. He noted the pilots’ efforts to decelerate the aircraft, resulting in a bruised cheek and a sore neck for him, though he remained conscious throughout the event.
Both controllers were logged in at the time of the crash: the local controller arrived at 10:45 p.m., while the lead controller signed in at 10:30 p.m. The investigation continues to piece together the exact sequence of events and determine if fatigue or communication errors played a role in the accident.
