Late on Sunday evening at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, a serious plane crash took place in which the pilot and co-pilot of a regional passenger plane were killed, while more than a dozen people were injured. The incident happened during the landing of an Air Canada Express aircraft, when the plane hit a fire engine that was on the runway, reports Reuters.
According to the first information published by the American media, the Bombardier CRJ-900 plane, operated by Jazz Aviation (owned by Chorus Aviation), was coming from Montreal and carrying a total of 76 people – 72 passengers and four crew members. Passenger information is still being checked, and the competent services are working to establish all the circumstances of the accident.
Runway collision during landing
The collision occurred around 23:37 local time, according to data from the Flightradar24 service. According to available information, during landing, the plane hit a fire engine that was engaged in another intervention at the airport.
Photos from the crash site show significant damage to the front of the aircraft, while the nose of the aircraft was raised, indicating a strong impact. A fire engine, said to have been driven by police officers, also sustained serious damage.
Dozens of injured, some in stable condition
According to reports, dozens of people were injured in the accident, including members of the emergency services. Two police officers, who were in the fire truck, suffered broken limbs, but are in a stable condition.
Official institutions have not yet published detailed information on the causes of the accident, nor the final balance of the dead and injured. The investigation is ongoing.
Due to the accident, LaGuardia was closed to all traffic, and it was announced that the shutdown could last until at least 2 p.m. Monday. According to Flightradar24, at least 18 flights were diverted to other airports in the New York region or returned to their original destinations.
New York City officials said the fire truck was on duty when the crash occurred on Runway 4, further complicating the circumstances of the incident.
Emergency measures and warnings to citizens
The city’s emergency notification system warned citizens that they can expect flight cancellations, the closure of certain roads, as well as an increased presence of emergency services in the vicinity of the airport. Officials appeal to citizens to avoid the area while the investigation and rehabilitation of the consequences of the accident continues.
Air Canada said it was aware of the incident, but referred additional information to its operating partner Jazz Aviation, which is in charge of operating the flight.
The investigation into the causes of this serious accident is still in its initial phase, and the public expects answers to key questions – how the collision occurred on the runway and whether safety protocols were followed.
(TYPE/Source: federalna.ba/Photo: Fena/X)
