An Air Canada plane was involved in an incident with a vehicle on a runway at LaGuardia Airport in New York City late Sunday (local time), according to the New York Fire Department. As of the writing of this article, unconfirmed reports claimed there are fatalities and critical injuries, but there are no clarifications or updates issued by the authorities..
What led to the Air Canada accident at New York’s LaGuardia Airport?
According to multiple media reports, the ill-fated Air Canada Express CRJ-900 had taken off from Montreal and landed at LaGuardia Airport late at night when it collided with a fire truck on Runway 4. The CRJ-900 plane struck the vehicle at a speed of about 24 miles per hour (39 kph), Flightradar24 said. The jet was operated by Jazz Aviation, Air Canada's regional partner
Luckily, no major fire was reported, like in earlier cases when the flight turned into an inferno. An official response to the collision is still awaited.
The fire department confirmed it responded to what it described as an incident on a runway at 11:38 p.m., it said.
According to flight-tracking data, the accident may have involved flight and a fire truck identified as Truck 1 while attempting to cross runway 04/22.
(Representational Image of Air Canada accident)
What ATC audio reveals about Air Canada accident
ATC audio shows the Port Authority fire truck (Truck 1) crossing active Runway 4 while Air Canada Express Jazz flight 646 (CRJ-900 from Montreal) was landing. Miscommunication led to "stop stop stop" calls too late, the plane struck the truck, damaging its nose and fuselage.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board investigating as standard incursion with reports claiming truck at fault per early reports.
Flight operations closed until 0530 GMT
FAA issued a ground stop for all planes at the airport until 0530 GMT, according to a notice from the regulator. The FAA notice showed that the reason for the halt at the airport was an emergency and there was a high probability of an extension, without specifying any details.
LaGuardia's website showed arriving planes had been diverted to other airports or returned to their point of origin. In a separate notice to airmen, the FAA said that the airport could be shut until 1800 GMT.
Unverified footage on social media showed damage to the nose of the plane, as it tilted upward. Reuters could not immediately verify the footage. Air Canada and the FAA yet to comment on the incident.
(With inputs from Reuters)