In March of this year, a Canadian Airlines plane collided with a fire truck while landing at LaGuardia Airport in New York, resulting in the deaths of two pilots. The latest reports indicate that on that fateful night, two air traffic controllers left work early, approximately an hour before their scheduled time, leaving only two other controllers on duty at the tower when the incident occurred. The two controllers who left early are currently facing termination.
According to a report on Thursday, August 27th, by CNN citing a source familiar with the investigation, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) looked into the staffing at the LaGuardia Airport tower after the accident and found that two controllers had left early that night, approximately an hour before their scheduled shift ended.
On the same day, Reuters reported, also citing sources, that the FAA is in the process of terminating the employment of these two air traffic controllers. The FAA has stated that it is taking action to hold the responsible employees accountable and will not compromise on the safety and efficiency of the national airspace system.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), representing the controllers, stated that they are in discussions with FAA management regarding the allegations.
The accident took place on the night of March 22nd at 11:37 pm. Air Canada Express Flight 8646, operated by Jazz Aviation, was en route from Montreal to New York. The CRJ-900 aircraft collided with an airport fire truck upon landing on Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport.
The aircraft was carrying 72 passengers and 4 crew members, with both the captain and first officer perishing in the accident. There were 2 firefighters on the truck, one sustaining serious injuries and the other minor injuries. According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), following the accident, a total of 39 individuals were taken to the hospital, with 6 in serious condition and 33 with minor injuries.
Initial investigations by the NTSB revealed that the fire truck was responding to an emergency situation involving another aircraft and had received clearance from the tower to cross Runway 4. Simultaneously, the Air Canada plane was landing on the same runway.
Prior to the collision, the controller had radioed the fire truck to halt, but the two vehicles ultimately collided.
The NTSB is still investigating the incident and has not yet disclosed the final cause of the accident or determined if there was a causal link between the early departure of the two controllers and the accident.