Pilots raised safety concerns about New York's LaGuardia Airport months before a collision between an Air Canada Express flight and an airport fire truck killed two pilots and injured 41 others, according to reports filed with Nasa's Aviation Safety Reporting System.
One pilot wrote in summer 2024 that air traffic controllers were "pushing the line" and urged officials to "please do something" after controllers failed to provide adequate guidance about nearby aircraft. The pilot compared LaGuardia to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport before the January 2025 mid-air collision that killed over 60 people.
The report described a close call where a takeoff clearance was issued for another aircraft while the pilot's plane was only 300 feet high on final approach. The pilot noted that thick haze from Canadian wildfires and a possible helicopter made continuing to land safer than aborting.
Another report filed since January 2025 detailed an incident where a pilot was cleared to cross a runway but saw an aircraft seemingly heading toward them, saying air traffic control "should have sent the aircraft around."
The fatal crash occurred when Air Canada Express Flight 646 from Montreal landed and struck a fire truck that had been cleared to cross the runway. The controller later said on a recording that he "messed up" while dealing with an earlier emergency.
Aviation experts say the incident highlights stress on US airports from air traffic controller shortages, ageing equipment, and a partial government shutdown that has led to TSA officer resignations. "We did not need another aviation tragedy to see this coming," said aviation expert Brian Fielkow.
