A firefighter whose truck collided with an Air Canada jet at New York's LaGuardia Airport last month heard an air traffic controller warn 'stop, stop, stop' but did not realise it was directed at him, according to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The crash, which occurred on 22 March, killed both pilots of Air Canada Express Flight 8646.
The NTSB report, released on Thursday, revealed that the airport's runway incursion prevention system failed to generate an audio or visual alert. Additionally, the runway stop lights were illuminated until approximately three seconds before the collision. The fire truck, part of a convoy responding to an emergency involving a strong odour on a United Airlines jet, had been cleared to cross the runway just 12 seconds before the plane touched down.
The turret operator in the fire truck recalled hearing the initial 'stop' warning but not knowing who it was for. He then heard the controller say, 'Truck 1, stop, stop, stop,' and realised the warning was for them, but by then the truck was already on the runway as the aircraft was landing. The plane, a CRJ900 regional jet from Montreal carrying over 70 people, slammed into the truck, killing pilots Antoine Forest and Mackenzie Gunther.
About 40 people, including the two fire truck crew members, were taken to hospitals. A flight attendant still strapped in her seat survived after being thrown onto the tarmac. The NTSB noted that the airport's surface surveillance system, ASDE-X, did not work as intended because the fire truck lacked a transponder, and the proximity of multiple emergency vehicles prevented the system from triggering an alarm.
The tower at LaGuardia was busier than usual due to flight delays, with arrivals and departures after 10pm more than double the scheduled number. Planes were landing every few minutes, and the tower was simultaneously coordinating the emergency response to the odour incident. The report highlighted that the controller cleared the truck to cross the runway when the Air Canada flight was just over 100 feet above the ground, and frantically ordered it to stop nine seconds before the crash.
