An audio clip from the cockpit reveals the final moments before an Air Canada Express plane collided with a fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. The accident killed both the pilot and co-pilot, and the airport was forced to close.Air traffic control records captured a series of urgent and chaotic instructions as ground vehicles and planes moved on the runway shortly before the crash late Sunday night. In the audio, the controller can be heard repeatedly warning the vehicle to stop. “Stop. Stop. Stop,” the controller shouted multiple times before notifying another aircraft of a collision on the runway.An Air Canada Express CRJ-900 operated by Jazz Aviation struck a Port Authority aircraft rescue and fire truck while landing on Runway 4 around 11:40 p.m. local time, according to officials. The truck was responding to another incident involving another aircraft that had reported problems.Seconds after the impact, the controller can be heard telling the aircraft, “I see you colliding with a vehicle…hold your position.”Emergency crews were immediately dispatched and the runway and entire airport were closed to control the situation. “I repeat, Runway 422 is closed at this time. Tower 90 at LaGuardia Airport is closed at this time,” the audio ends with the message.Authorities confirmed that the plane’s pilot and co-pilot were killed in the collision. Several other people were injured, including those inside the fire truck, but the passengers on board largely avoided major harm. The plane was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members.The audio also shows the rapid escalation of the situation, with multiple announcements that the runway and eventually LaGuardia Airport were closed as emergency vehicles rushed to the scene.Preliminary reports indicate the fire truck was cleared to cross the runway, but the exact sequence of events leading up to the collision remains under investigation. Shortly after the crash, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground grounding order, and the National Transportation Safety Board launched an investigation into the incident.Video from the scene showed that the nose of the plane was severely damaged and passengers were evacuated and transported by bus. Flights were diverted or delayed as authorities worked through the night to respond to the emergency.
