Air Canada Plane Crashes into Fire Truck at LaGuardia

On March 24, an air candidate plane carrying 72 passengers and four crew members collided

with a fire truck while landing at LaGuardia Airport, late Sunday night.

The crash killed the two pilots and injured several passengers, marking the first fatal

accident there in 34 years.

The air traffic controller who cleared the truck to cross the runway stayed on duty for

several minutes afterward.

Officials are probing the shift change in the tower, who else was present, and why backup

safety systems failed to prevent the disaster.

Both pilots hailed from Canada with one identified as 30-year-old Antoine Forrest, who always

dreamed of flying.

Most passengers received quick medical care and went home, while the two firefighters

in the truck survived with injuries.

Investigators found the runway warning alarm never sounded, and they have pulled the flight

data and copied voice recorders for analysis.

LaGuardia has seen repeated close calls from miscommunications and controller shortages

in recent years.

Meanwhile, the damaged runway stays shut down for days to clear wreckage, snarling flights

at the busy New York hub already strained by weather and other issues.