Two air traffic controllers at New York’s LaGuardia Airport could be dismissed for leaving their tower approximately one hour early on the night of a tragic incident involving an Air Canada jet. The aircraft collided with a fire truck that was crossing the runway, resulting in the deaths of both pilots. This information comes from a government official who is familiar with the ongoing investigation into the matter.
Emergency Response to Illness Aboard United Airlines Flight
A United Airlines flight was delayed due to reports of a strong odor that caused illness among flight attendants. In response, a fire truck led a convoy of emergency vehicles, which included four additional fire trucks, a police car, and a stair truck, to the scene. The incident occurred as the flight was preparing for departure.
Because the two controllers left work early that night, there were only two people left in the tower to direct an unusual flurry of flights while dealing with an emergency on another plane on the ground. Because they were scheduled to be there past when the crash happened, the official said, the controllers who left could have provided crucial backup when the tower got busy if they had remained at the airport until the end of their shifts.
The NTSB declined to comment on the news about the controllers leaving early. The agency expects every organization involved in an investigation to remain silent while experts work to determine what caused the crash and how to prevent similar tragedies in the future. Air Canada and union officials across the industry did not respond to questions.
The official was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter due to the ongoing National Transportation Safety Board investigation of the March 22 crash and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity Friday. By then, the truck was already on the runway as Air Canada Express Flight 8646 was landing and speeding toward it.
After the air traffic controller’s initial stop warning, the fire truck’s turret operator heard the controller say, “Truck 1, stop, stop, stop,” and realized he was telling the truck to halt, the report said.
Just seconds earlier, a controller had cleared the fire truck to cross the runway, but the truck started moving while warning lights that act as a stop sign for crossing traffic were still lit.
