These were the distressing final instructions captured by the control tower before an Air Canada Express plane collided with an emergency vehicle at LaGuardia airport in New York. The tragic accident, which occurred on Sunday around 11:40 p.m. local time, claimed the lives of two individuals and left dozens injured in an incident that has shocked the aviation sector.
The fatalities have been identified as the pilot and copilot of the aircraft, a CRJ-900 operated by Jazz Aviation flying from Montreal with 72 passengers and four crew members on board. According to Flightradar24 tracking data, the plane was traveling at about 210 kilometers per hour moments before the impact, although the final collision occurred at about 39 km/h, causing severe damage to the front section of the aircraft.
The chain of events began when a United Airlines flight declared an emergency due to a "smell issue" on board. The fire truck involved was responding to this incident and, according to air traffic control audios, initially had authorization to cross the runway where the Air Canada flight was landing.
In addition to the pilot fatalities, authorities reported 41 injuries, including passengers, crew members, and the two fire truck officers. While 32 individuals have been discharged, nine remain hospitalized with serious injuries.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has dispatched a team of investigators to the site to determine the causes of the accident. LaGuardia airport will remain closed until Monday afternoon on the FAA's orders. This accident occurs in a context of budgetary tensions that have affected security personnel at various airports in the United States.