Investigators are examining whether an air traffic controller briefly left their post to answer an emergency call just before a fatal collision at New York’s LaGuardia Airport last month.
The late-night accident, which resulted in the deaths of both pilots on an Air Canada flight on March 22, is under intense investigation. Sources informed The New York Times that one line of inquiry involves whether a controller stepped away to use a “crash phone,” a dedicated emergency line within the tower.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is working to reconstruct the moments leading up to the jet’s collision with a fire truck shortly before midnight, marking the airport’s first fatal incident in over three decades.
Part of the investigation is focusing on the control tower’s layout at LaGuardia, where emergency phones might not always be within easy reach of active workstations.
Depending on its location, a controller might need to leave their console to access it during an emergency.
The investigation is ongoing, and no conclusions have been reached.
Beyond the tower, the NTSB is tracing the activities of a convoy of six fire trucks, as reported by the outlet.
The Air Canada jet collided with the lead truck as it was heading to an emergency in another part of the airfield.
Officials are trying to determine whether the lead truck crossed a required stop line before entering the runway and if its crew failed to follow air traffic control instructions.
The outlet also reported that weather conditions and visibility at the time are being evaluated.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy confirmed that two controllers were on duty in the tower at the time, which is the standard overnight staffing level at LaGuardia and across the US. In addition, a third and fourth controller were reportedly elsewhere in the building.
However, it is suggested that the airport’s staffing may have deviated from standard procedures, possibly combining roles before midnight.
Controllers indicate that ongoing staffing shortages, especially at the supervisor level, are making it necessary for workers to manage both air and ground traffic duties more frequently.
If this was the case on the night of the crash, it would represent a deviation from LaGuardia’s usual operating procedures.
Another significant aspect of the investigation is the airport’s ground radar system, ASDE-X, which is designed to track aircraft and vehicles and alert of potential conflicts.
Homendy previously stated that the system did not detect the fire truck because it lacked a transponder, a device that would have made it visible to controllers.
The crash claimed the lives of pilots Antoine Forest and Mackenzie Gunther, though no passengers or firefighters were killed.
The incident has sparked further questions about the level of activity at LaGuardia that night, with some aviation insiders suggesting that additional staff might have been needed in the tower.
Air Canada is also dealing with its own repercussions, as CEO Michael Rousseau recently announced plans to step down later this year following backlash over his response to the crash.
Rousseau, who became CEO in 2021, faced criticism after delivering his video statement primarily in English, disregarding Montreal’s official language of French.
With Post wires.
