A terrifying runway disaster at New York’s LaGuardia Airport has left two pilots dead, dozens injured, and one air traffic controller admitting, “I messed up.”
The chaos unfolded late Sunday night when an Air Canada regional jet carrying 76 people slammed into a fire truck during landing — turning one of the nation’s busiest airports into a disaster zone in seconds.
The aircraft, operated by Jazz Aviation and arriving from Montreal, was just touching down when the unthinkable happened.
According to officials, the fire truck had been cleared to cross the runway to respond to another emergency — a United Airlines flight reporting a strange odor onboard. But in a chilling twist, air traffic control audio reveals the moment everything went wrong.
“Stop, Truck 1. Stop,” the controller can be heard shouting — too late.
Nearly 20 minutes later, the same controller appeared to blame himself over the radio.
“We were dealing with an emergency earlier… I messed up.”
The impact was devastating.
The nose of the Bombardier CRJ jet was crushed on contact, with cables and wreckage hanging from the cockpit. Photos from the scene show the fire truck flipped onto its side, mangled from the collision.
Both the pilot and copilot — who were based out of Canada — were killed.
Onboard, panic erupted.
About 40 passengers and crew members were rushed to nearby hospitals, some with serious injuries. Most were released by Monday morning, but the emotional toll is still unfolding.
Passengers were evacuated using emergency stairways as the damaged aircraft sat tilted with its nose crumpled upward.
Two Port Authority workers inside the fire truck were also injured, though officials say their injuries are not life-threatening.
The crash forced an immediate shutdown of LaGuardia, sending ripple effects across the entire region.
Flights were diverted to Newark Liberty International Airport — which then briefly halted operations itself Monday morning after air traffic controllers evacuated the tower due to a burning smell.
The timing couldn’t have been worse.
Airports across the country are already dealing with long security lines tied to the ongoing government shutdown and the surge in spring break travel.
Travelers stranded at LaGuardia described confusion and frustration as cancellations stacked up overnight.
“I don’t think we’re going at two,” one passenger said, staring at a departure board filled with delays and cancellations.
LaGuardia, which handled more than 16.7 million passengers in 2024, is considered one of the nation’s top domestic travel hubs — making the shutdown even more disruptive.
Now, investigators are racing to figure out what went so horribly wrong.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the probe, with assistance from Canada’s Transportation Safety Board. Teams will analyze flight recorders, review communications, and interview witnesses.
Aviation experts say it’s too soon to place blame on one person.
“It might be easy enough just to say the controller made a mistake,” one expert said. “But there have to be deeper questions.”
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