NTSB Releases Preliminary Report on LaGuardia Airport Collision Killing Two Pilots

The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report on Thursday detailing the fatal collision at New York's LaGuardia Airport between an Air Canada Express jet and a fire truck, which killed two pilots and injured 33 people. The crash on March 22, 2026, claimed the lives of pilots Mackenzie Gunther and Antoine Forest, with six of the injured suffering serious harm. m.

ET on Runway 4, colliding with the fire truck seconds later. m. ET. About two minutes after that clearance, the fire crew requested permission to cross the same runway, which separated the airport's fire station from a parked United Airlines jet.

The collision happened 25 seconds after the fire crew's request to cross Runway 4. An air traffic controller repeated 'stop' at least 10 times in urgent radio transmissions, attempting to halt the fire truck from entering the runway. According to the NTSB preliminary report, the fire truck's driver heard instructions to 'stop, stop, stop' over the radio but did not realize the message was intended for them.

The truck's turret operator then heard the controller specify 'Truck 1, stop, stop, stop' and recognized the warning was for his crew. By the time the turret operator realized the warning, the truck was already on Runway 4 as Flight 8646 was landing. The jet and truck collided immediately after touchdown.

A key runway safety system failed to activate before the collision, the NTSB said. The runway protection mechanism did not trigger prior to the crash. Safety system status lights, which illuminate red to warn that a runway is in use, were on before the fire truck crossed the runway.

Despite these lights, the truck proceeded, leading to the impact with the Air Canada Express jet. The NTSB's preliminary report summarizes interviews with the firefighters involved. Audio of the air traffic control transmissions, available online since the crash, captures the controller's repeated urgent commands.

The incident at LaGuardia involved issues in communications and safety technology, as detailed in the NTSB report and air traffic records. The report was published on Thursday, providing initial findings from the investigation. Two pilots died in the collision, which also injured 33 individuals, underscoring the rapid sequence of events from clearance to crash.

The fire truck's path across Runway 4 was intended to reach the United Airlines jet's parking spot. The NTSB noted that the warnings came too late for the crew to react effectively once the truck entered the active runway. This preliminary account draws from controller transmissions and crew statements, with no contradictions across reported details.

Investigators confirmed the safety lights were active, yet the automated protection system did not engage to prevent the crossing. The crash occurred at a major New York airfield, identified as LaGuardia Airport, late in the evening. The report's release on Thursday follows the March 22 incident, offering new insights into the radio exchanges and system statuses.

All elements point to a combination of human and technological factors in the tragedy that unfolded within minutes.