Deadly LaGuardia Crash Caught on Camera
Chaos erupted late Sunday night as Air Canada Express Flight 8646 from Montreal collided with a fire truck on the LaGuardia Airport runway. Surveillance footage shows the plane taxiing when a fire truck with flashing lights suddenly crossed its path.
The plane’s nose smashed into the emergency vehicle, flipping it onto its side. Dozens of passengers and the fire crew were injured in the horrific crash.
Pilots Killed, Dozens Hurt
Tragedy deepened as both young pilots died in the accident, including Antoine Forest from Québec. Forty-one people—passengers and crew—were hospitalised, with 32 discharged since. LaGuardia Airport shut down instantly but reopened Monday afternoon amid an ongoing probe.
Flight Attendant Survives Against All Odds
Flight attendant Solange Tremblay was thrown clear of the wreckage while still strapped to her seat. Her daughter called her survival “a total miracle,” though she faces surgery for multiple leg fractures.
Survivors Describe Terrifying Chaos
Passenger Joe Capio, 29, recalled the horror: “We landed smoothly, then suddenly everyone jerked forward with a loud crash. The plane skidded until it stopped. The front was twisted sideways.”
Joe’s fiancée and others spoke of head injuries, bleeding, and panic as survivors scrambled onto the wing and escaped to safety.
Air Traffic Control Blamed for Disaster
Former Department of Transportation inspector Mary Schiavo slammed the crash as a “clear error” by air traffic control. She said ground and tower teams failed to coordinate, letting the fire truck cross the runway after landing clearance was given.
“There’s just no way around it — someone made a critical mistake by letting the fire truck on the runway when the plane was landing,” Schiavo said.
Audio Reveals Frantic Last Moments
Radio recordings captured urgent warnings from controllers shouting “stop” as the fire truck crossed. Too late to avoid catastrophe, one voice grimly remarked, “That wasn’t good to watch.”
Officials Confirm Long Investigation Ahead
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said LaGuardia remains at reduced capacity with runway debris yet to clear. The National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation could last months or even a year.
“If you see the videos of the air crash, wear your seatbelt. They save lives,” Duffy urged travellers.
The fire truck was responding to a separate emergency involving strange odours on a United Airlines flight before the deadly collision happened.
