Pilots raised safety concerns about New York’s LaGuardia Airport months before a fatal collision between an Air Canada flight and a fire truck killed two pilots and injured 41 others, according to reports filed with Nasa’s Aviation Safety Reporting System.
In one report from summer 2025, a pilot wrote, “Please do something,” after air traffic controllers failed to provide adequate guidance about nearby aircraft. The pilot described the pace of operations as building, adding, “The controllers are pushing the line.” They compared the situation to Ronald Reagan National Airport before the January 2025 mid-air collision over the Potomac River that killed more than 60 people.
The pilot recounted a close call where a takeoff clearance was issued for another aircraft while their plane was only 300 feet high on final approach. The departing plane hesitated, and the pilot decided to continue landing, noting thick haze from Canadian wildfires and a possible helicopter in the area. They criticised the lack of clear guidance on how close aircraft can get in such situations.
Another report from after January 2025 described a near miss when an aircraft was cleared to cross a runway but saw a landing plane heading towards them. The pilot said air traffic control “should have sent the aircraft around”. Dozens of similar anonymous complaints have been filed about LaGuardia, one of the busiest US airports.
The crash occurred on Sunday when Air Canada Express Flight 646 from Montreal collided with a fire truck that had been cleared to cross the runway. The air traffic controller later admitted he “messed up” after trying to stop the truck. The incident has highlighted pressures on US airports, including air traffic controller shortages exacerbated by federal job cuts, ageing equipment, and a partial government shutdown since mid-February that has led to over 450 TSA officers quitting.
