Aviation expert points to runway coordination failure after Air Canada jet struck fire truck, as investigators probe air traffic control decisions

The deadly plane crash at LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night that killed two pilots and injured dozens could have been avoided, according to an aviation expert who pointed to a critical runway coordination failure. The collision occurred just before midnight when an Air Canada Express flight from Montreal struck a fire truck on the runway, as federal investigators opened a probe into the incident.

The aircraft had been cleared to land when the emergency vehicle was allowed to cross the same runway while responding to a separate incident. “Once that aircraft was cleared to land … It owned that runway,” said Mary Schiavo, a former U.S. Department of Transportation inspector general, describing the sequence as a clear procedural breakdown.

Schiavo said the crash likely stemmed from a failure between tower and ground control coordination. “So clearly they either did not coordinate, or they did and were just wrong,” she said, adding: “There’s just no way around that.” The plane was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members at the time of the collision.

Air traffic control audio captured moments of confusion, including one controller saying, “I messed up,” as the situation unfolded. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board have launched an investigation.

The crash forced the closure of LaGuardia Airport into Monday afternoon and led to hundreds of cancellations. Schiavo warned the incident may reflect broader systemic issues, calling it “another case of the FAA simply not doing their job.”