The National Transportation Safety Board has released its preliminary findings in its investigation into the fatal collision between an Air Canada Jazz plane and fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport last month.
The pilots of the plane were killed and 39 people were rushed to hospital after the aircraft smashed into the truck upon landing just before midnight on March 22.
A map of the fire station and the location of the emergency the truck was responding to. The red star marks the point of impact. (NTSB)
The fire truck was en route to an emergency on board another aircraft when it was instructed to cross the runway – the same one the Jazz flight from Montreal had been cleared to land.
As the plane was touching down, an air traffic controller made an urgent, repeated warning telling the truck to stop.
According to the NTSB, the firefighters didn’t realize those warnings were meant for them until it was too late.
(NTSB)
Investigators go on to say the emergency vehicle was not equipped with transponders – something that may have helped to prevent the tragedy.
A full report on the crash is expected within the coming months.
