From Takeoff To ‘i Messed Up’: Timeline Spells Out What Went Wrong In The Deadly Laguardia Airport Plane Crash

Harrowing audio from nan aerial postulation power building astatine New York’s LaGuardia Airport revealed really a controller tried to extremity nan fatal collision that claimed nan lives of 2 group and closed 1 of nan nation’s busiest airports.

The Air Canada Express formation from Montreal carrying 76 passengers collapsed into a Port Authority occurrence motortruck connected nan runway astatine nan Queens airdrome precocious Sunday. The aviator and co-pilot were some killed erstwhile nan level collided pinch nan truck, which was connected nan runway responding to a abstracted emergency.

Panicked dispatchers were heard connected aerial postulation power audio desperately trying to avert disaster. It is portion of nan hours-long saga that is nan first awesome commerical craft disaster successful America successful 2026.

A sound complete nan transmission was heard telling a motortruck to “Stop, stop, stop!” earlier it was excessively late.

“That wasn’t bully to watch,” a sound was heard saying complete nan radio.

“I messed up,” different personification said.

The deadly clang comes arsenic U.S. airports are already successful chaos owed to a partial authorities shutdown, which has caused hours-long delays astatine information checkpoints.

Funding for nan Department of Homeland Security has lapsed and Transportation Security Administration officers are not being paid until Congress reaches a deal.

Air postulation controllers are not straight affected by this shutdown, but galore stopped reporting for activity during erstwhile shutdowns erstwhile they had to spell without salary for immoderate time. The number of aerial postulation controllers has declined by astir 6 percent successful nan past decade.

How nan Air Canada Flight 8646 clang unfolded:

Sunday, March 22

10:12 p.m. - Air Canada Flight 8646, operating arsenic a Jazz Aviation formation connected behalf of nan Canadian company, departed Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport astir 2 hours late.

11.37 p.m. - The rider level landed astatine LaGuardia successful New York.

In nan moments earlier nan craft collided pinch nan occurrence motortruck connected nan runway, an aerial postulation controller was heard connected a power transmission giving clearance to a conveyance to transverse portion of nan tarmac, past trying to extremity it.

“Truck 1 and company, LaGuardia Tower, requesting to transverse 4 astatine Delta,” a sound connected nan transmission asked.

“Truck 1 and company, transverse 4 astatine Delta,” a personification replied.

“Truck 1 and institution crossing 4 astatine Delta,” nan sound said, confirming that nan motortruck was crossing nan runway.

“Stop, stop, stop, stop. Stop, Truck 1, stop, stop. Stop, Truck 1, stop,” nan sound connected nan power was heard saying.

11:40 p.m/ 11. 45 p.m. (approx) - The level collided pinch nan Port Authority occurrence motortruck connected runway 4 astatine a velocity of 93 to 105 mph, according to formation search tract FlightRadar24.

“Jazz 646, Jazz 646 I spot you collide pinch a vehicle,” a sound connected nan power said to nan Air Canada crew. “Just clasp position. I cognize you can’t move. The vehicles are responding to you now.”

Several voices were heard connected nan power asking whether runway 4 is closed, and a controller confirmed that nan airdrome was shut.

A sound connected nan power was heard saying, “That wasn’t… That wasn’t bully to watch.”

Another replied: “Yeah, I cognize I was here. I tried to scope retired to them. I stopped and we were dealing pinch an emergency earlier and I messed up…”

The different personification connected nan power replied, “No man, you did nan champion you could.”

Monday, March 23

Midnight (approx) - Passengers were evacuated from nan craft and 41 group were taken to nan hospital, immoderate pinch superior injuries. LaGuardia Airport announced its closure connected societal media “to facilitate nan consequence and let for a thorough investigation.”

3 a.m. - NYPD announced roadworthy closures astir nan airport.

3:30 a.m. - Investigators pinch nan National Transportation Safety Board arrived astatine nan tract of nan crash.

4:48 a.m. - Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia held a property convention and confirmed that nan aviator and co-pilot of nan Air Canada formation some died successful nan collision.

5 a.m. - LaGuardia Airport announced it would stay closed until astatine slightest 2 p.m. Monday.

8:41 a.m. - Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced connected X that he is en way to LaGuardia Airport and said his agency is looking into whether aerial postulation power staffing was a facet successful nan fatal incident.