LaGuardia Airport has issued an official statement after an Air Canada plane collided with a ground vehicle on a runway at 11:38pm local time in New York on Sunday, March 22.
As per the latest information, both the pilot and co-pilot of the flight died in the incident, while Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia told reporters that a total of 41 people, including passengers, crew, and aircraft rescue and fire fighting officers, had been taken to the hospital.
A shocking new air traffic control (ATC) audio clip circulating online captured the tense seconds leading up to the late-night collision.
The recording appears to document the frantic attempts of controllers to stop a ground vehicle from crossing an active runway — moments before the Air Canada Express plane struck it.
In the clip, controllers can be heard shouting urgently:
“Stop, stop, stop. Stop, Truck 1, stop!”
Reports claim that the Air Canada flight was arriving in New York from Montreal, and had slowed to a speed of 24mph when it collided with the truck.
LaGuardia Airport have released a statement on the matter, writing: “At approximately 11:40 p.m. on Sunday, a Jazz Aviation flight operating on behalf of Air Canada was involved in an incident on Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport in which the aircraft struck a Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle that was responding to a separate incident.
“Emergency response protocols were immediately activated. The Port Authority Police Department is on scene along with the agency’s Chairman and Executive Director. The airport is currently closed to facilitate the response and allow for a thorough investigation.
“This is a developing situation based on preliminary information. The Port Authority Police Department is working closely with our airline partners as well as federal authorities and will provide additional updates as more details become available.”
Following the crash, the Federal Aviation Administration halted all flights in and out of LaGuardia. At least 18 flights were diverted to nearby airports, including John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport
The two officers who were driving in the fire truck that collided with the plane are currently in stable condition in the hospital, said Kathryn Garcia, head of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
This is a developing story. More updates to come...