Accessibility links Skip to main content Keyboard shortcuts for audio player Open Navigation Menu --> Newsletters NPR Shop Close Navigation Menu Home News Expand/collapse submenu for News National World Politics Business Health Science Climate Race Culture Expand/collapse submenu for Culture Books Movies Television Pop Culture Food Art & Design Performing Arts Life Kit Gaming Music Expand/collapse submenu for Music Tiny Desk New Music Friday All Songs Considered Music Features Live Sessions The Best Music of 2025 Podcasts & Shows Expand/collapse submenu for Podcasts & Shows Daily Morning Edition Weekend Edition Saturday Weekend Edition Sunday All Things Considered Up First Here & Now NPR Politics Podcast Featured Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! Fresh Air Wild Card with Rachel Martin It's Been a Minute Planet Money Get NPR+ More Podcasts & Shows Search Newsletters NPR Shop Tiny Desk New Music Friday All Songs Considered Music Features Live Sessions The Best Music of 2025 About NPR Diversity Support Careers Press Ethics NTSB investigating runway crash that killed 2 and hurt dozens at LaGuardia Airport Investigators are looking into what caused a runway collision between an Air Canada regional jet and a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport. Both pilots were killed and dozens of passengers were injured. National NTSB investigating runway crash that killed 2 and hurt dozens at LaGuardia Airport March 24, 20264:39 AM ET Heard on Morning Edition By Steve Kastenbaum NTSB investigating runway crash that killed 2 and hurt dozens at LaGuardia Airport Listen · 2:04 2:04 Transcript Toggle more options Download Embed Embed "> <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5758014/nx-s1-9700497" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript Investigators are looking into what caused a runway collision between an Air Canada regional jet and a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport. Both pilots were killed and dozens of passengers were injured. Sponsor Message
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Investigators are working to determine the cause of a crash between a plane and a fire truck at New York's LaGuardia Airport Sunday night. The pilot and co-pilot were killed, and 41 passengers were injured. Reporter Steve Kastenbaum has more.
STEVE KASTENBAUM, BYLINE: While some federal investigators arrived on-site within a few hours of the crash, long lines at TSA security checkpoints across the country caused delays in getting the entire team to LaGuardia Airport.
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JENNIFER HOMENDY: Our air traffic control specialist, who was in line with TSA for three hours until we called in Houston to beg to see if we can get her through so we can get her here.
KASTENBAUM: That's National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy.
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HOMENDY: So it's been a really big challenge to get the entire team here.
KASTENBAUM: She provided details about the events that led up to the crash, but she cautioned against reaching a quick conclusion. A nearby video camera captured the crash. Just seconds after the plane touched down, the truck entered the runway directly in front of the oncoming regional jet. An air traffic controller gave the driver permission to cross the runway and then quickly reversed themself, saying stop several times. When the Air Canada Express flight slammed into the airport fire truck, debris spread out over a wide area. Homendy said that the runway, one of two at LaGuardia, won't reopen soon.
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HOMENDY: That's all evidence, and we need to document that first. Then we need to collect some of that evidence. Then we get to that. It's going to be days.
KASTENBAUM: That follows a 12-hour closure of the entire facility that caused many flights to be canceled at one of the busiest airports in the nation. Mark and Karen Quintana from Loveland, Colorado, showed up four hours early for their flight, only to learn that they weren't going anywhere for a while.
MARK QUINTANA: Could be worse, but it's...
KAREN QUINTANA: Yeah.
M QUINTANA: It's manageable, yeah...
K QUINTANA: Yeah.
M QUINTANA: ...Right now.
K QUINTANA: And we're safe. So that's...
M QUINTANA: Yeah. Yeah.
K QUINTANA: ...Pretty awesome. Yeah.
KASTENBAUM: For NPR News, I'm Steve Kastenbaum at LaGuardia Airport.
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