A serious aviation accident was recorded on Sunday night (22) at LaGuardia Airport in New York, involving an aircraft operated by Air Canada. The collision with a fire truck on the runway resulted in the death of the pilot and co-pilot, as well as at least two people injured. The information was disclosed by CNN, based on police sources.
According to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the accident occurred around 11:40 p.m. (local time), when a flight operated by Jazz Aviation — which was operating on behalf of Air Canada — collided with a rescue and firefighting vehicle that was already attending to another incident at the airport.“Emergency response protocols were activated immediately”, said the spokesperson. “The airport is currently closed to facilitate the response and allow for a complete investigation”.
The aircraft involved in the accident, a CRJ-900 model, was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members, according to preliminary information released by the airline. The aircraft was flight 8646, departing from Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Montreal, bound for New York.
Data from the flight tracking website FlightRadar24 indicates that the plane took off shortly after 10:30 p.m. and landed about an hour later. Just before the collision, the aircraft was still traveling at approximately 210 km/h. According to information obtained by CNN, two people who were in the fire truck were injured. The vehicle had been released from a previous incident and was heading to attend another call involving a flight that reported an unknown odor in the cabin.
Audio recordings of communications between the control tower and ground teams reveal the moments before the accident. In one segment, a controller authorizes a truck to cross the runway, but seconds later tries to interrupt the action upon perceiving the imminent risk.“JAZZ 646, I see that you have collided with the vehicle. Maintain position. I know you can’t move. Vehicles are on the way”, says an air traffic controller in an audio captured by the website LiveATC.net.
Images and videos posted on social media show the front part of the aircraft with significant damage, while emergency teams surrounded the area. A CNN reporter who was at the airport in the early morning hours reported intense movement of rescue vehicles on the runway. After the impact, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered the immediate suspension of operations at the airport due to an “aeronautical emergency”. The initial forecast was that the terminal would remain closed until Monday afternoon (23).
The National Transportation Safety Board reported that it would send a team to the site to investigate the causes of the accident. The episode occurs amid a scenario of operational difficulties at U.S. airports. The shortage of resources for the Department of Homeland Security has affected Transportation Security Administration operations, with reports of significant absences of agents and long lines at security checkpoints.
Additionally, federal authorities announced the deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to assist in airport operations amid the crisis. Before the accident, LaGuardia Airport had already issued alerts about possible delays due to adverse weather conditions, with records of light rain and fog in the area. The exact circumstances of the collision will still be investigated by the responsible authorities.
Source: brasil247.com