Deadly Air Canada crash investigation reveals multiple safety failures at LaGuardia
An intense investigation is now underway following a deadly crash involving an Air Canada jet and a fire truck.
(NBC)- An intense investigation is now underway following a deadly crash involving an Air Canada jet and a fire truck, with federal investigators uncovering serious breakdowns in key safety systems meant to prevent such incidents.
Specialists are combing through the crash site for answers, as early findings point to multiple failures in layers of protection designed to avoid collisions on the ground.
“There are multiple, multiple layers of defense built in to prevent an accident,” said NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy. “When something goes wrong, that means many, many things went wrong.”
Among the concerns — ground radar detection systems that are supposed to alert air traffic controllers of potential collisions. Homendy says that system did not activate before the crash.
Investigators also revealed the fire truck involved did not have a transponder, meaning its movements were not being relayed to controllers in real time.
“That could have led, in this case, to a lack of warning to the controller,” said aviation analyst Jeff Guzzetti.
Staffing inside the control tower is also under scrutiny. Homendy confirmed only two people were working at the time, and investigators have received conflicting information about who authorized the fire truck to cross the runway.
New details also show warning signs may have existed months before the crash. A pilot filed a report with NASA’s Aviation Safety Reporting System, raising concerns about communication issues at LaGuardia Airport.
“LGA is starting to feel like DCA did before the accident there… please do something,” the report stated.
Former FAA controller David Riley says limited staffing can increase risks in already high-pressure environments.
“It’s risky because you have to stay focused on the task at hand,” Riley said. “You have to be able to prioritize the focus.”
Video from the scene shows the mangled nose of the aircraft lifting upward as passengers scrambled onto the wing to escape.
The crash killed two Air Canada pilots — Antoine Forrest and Mackenzie Gunther — and left more than 40 people hospitalized.
Passenger Chris Pal, who suffered a black eye, says the moment of impact came without warning.
“My daughter was asking me when I knew there was trouble,” Pal said. “I told her — when my face hit the seat in front of me. It happened very suddenly.”
As investigators continue to piece together what went wrong, questions remain about how multiple safety systems failed — and whether the tragedy could have been prevented.
