The collision between Air Canada Express Flight and a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport in New York on Sunday has shaken the aviation industry. Two pilots died in the incident that occurred when Air Canada Express Flight 8646 struck an Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle after landing on Runway 4 around 11:40 pm. A similar situation was averted at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, United States earlier this week.
How Was The Crash Averted?
The crash was prevented by the female air traffic controller’s prompt and timely response, who asked the pilot to “go around” after she noticed two planes that were trying to land at the same time. The incident occurred when an Alaska Airlines flight and a FedEx cargo plane were trying to land on crossing runways at the same time on Tuesday evening. While the situation was frightening, the air traffic controller’s calm response, instructing Alaska Airlines Flight 294, to abruptly abort its landing to avoid collision with FedEx Flight 721, has gained attention.
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According to The New York Post, the controller asked the plane to circle around for a new approach to land. In the audio clip, she was heard saying: “294 go around, FedEx 721 heavy left turn onto uniform for the end game contact ground point.” While the audio recording suggested a swift management of the situation, radar data indicated that the two planes had come very close to each other while attempting to land. Both of the flights were reportedly cleared for an approach to an intersecting runway. According to Alaska Airlines, there were 171 passengers and 6 crew members on board at the time.
Air Canada Express Collision
Meanwhile, an investigation is underway into the collision between an aircraft and a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport in New York. A viral audio clip from the Airport’s Air traffic control suggests a lot of confusion with a single controller managing multiple emergencies at once before an Air Canada plane collided with a fire truck. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford, the weather conditions at the time of the Air Canada Express incident were moderate, with broken ceilings, rain, and visibility of 4 miles.