LaGuardia plane crash air traffic control audio reveals frantic call for truck to 'stop, stop, stop'
Air traffic control audio from LaGuardia airport in New York captured the moment a plane struck a fire truck, killing two pilots late Sunday.
Frantic air traffic control audio has been released revealing the moment of the crash that left two pilots dead and at least 42 injured after striking a fire truck Sunday at New York's LaGuardia airport.
In the moments before the crash, an air traffic controller could be heard on a radio transmission discussing the request for the emergency vehicle to cross part of the tarmac, then trying to stop it.
"Stop, Truck 1. Stop," the transmission says, which can be heard repeatedly.
The controller can then be heard frantically diverting an incoming aircraft from landing.
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The pilot and copilot were killed in the collision, which crushed the nose of the aircraft, while 39 passengers and crew members were taken to area hospitals, some with serious injuries. Most have since been released from treatment, authorities said Monday.
Two Port Authority employees who were traveling in the fire truck also suffered injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, said Kathryn Garcia, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport.
The pilot and copilot were both based out of Canada, Garcia said during a news conference early Monday.
The airport will remain closed until at least 2 p.m. Monday to facilitate the investigation, which is being led by the National Transportation Safety Board.
There were 72 passengers and four crew members aboard the aircraft, a Jazz Aviation flight operating on behalf of Air Canada, according to a statement from the airline. The flight originated at Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, the major airport serving Montreal.
Photos and videos from the scene showed severe damage to the front of the aircraft, with cables and debris hanging from a mangled cockpit. Nearby, a damaged emergency vehicle lay on its side.
Stairways used to evacuate passengers from the aircraft were pushed up to the emergency exits on the jet, a Bombardier CRJ. The impact left the jet with its crumpled nose tilted upward.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
