Plane and fire truck collide in New York, 2 pilots killed

A passenger plane and a fire truck collided while landing at New York's LaGuardia Airport, killing the pilot and co-pilot. At least 41 people, including two police officers, were injured in the incident.

The accident occurred at the Queens airport just after 11:30 p.m. local time on Sunday. Air Canada Express Flight 8646, operated by Jazz Aviation and arriving from Montreal, was approaching Runway 4 when it collided with a fire truck while it was approaching at about 30 mph. The truck was responding to an emergency on another plane.

There were 72 passengers and four crew members on board the plane. The pilot and co-pilot died at the scene. A Port Authority sergeant and an officer were hospitalized with serious injuries, including broken bones, but are expected to recover. The injured passengers were taken to Elmhurst Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian Queens Hospital.

The air traffic controller was heard on the radio telling the fire truck to stop before the order could be received. But the collision occurred before it could be completed.

Visibility was reduced to about three miles at the time of the crash due to rain and fog. It is not yet clear whether the weather was a factor. The airport was temporarily closed after the crash and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) suspended all flights until 2 p.m. Monday. The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA have launched a joint investigation.

FAA negligence alleged

Former Department of Transportation Inspector General Mary Schiavo said the crash was avoidable and that the FAA was to blame for it. She said on Monday that a lack of coordination between air traffic control and ground control was the main cause of the crash. She called it a "clear mistake" to allow a fire truck to enter the same runway after the plane had been cleared to land.

Schiavo compared the incident to the recent collision between an American Airlines plane and a military helicopter. In his opinion, that incident was also the result of similar negligence on the part of the FAA.

United States