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The Port Authority has responded to the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) preliminary findings regarding the deadly plane crash at LaGuardia Airport last month. The Port Authority expressed appreciation for the NTSB's work and announced that it is conducting a comprehensive review of the findings. The crash, which occurred on March 22, involved an Air Canada jet colliding with a Port Authority fire truck, resulting in the deaths of both pilots and injuries to dozens of others.
The NTSB's report highlights a serious communications breakdown as a major factor in the crash. According to the report, the local air traffic controller cleared the fire truck to cross an active runway while a regional jet was on a short final approach. The controller attempted to stop the truck, but the warning came too late. The turret operator in the fire truck recalled hearing the words "stop, stop, stop" on the radio but did not realize the warning was meant for them until it was too late.
The report also noted that while two controllers were on duty that night, one was performing two jobs while the other was handling another emergency. The airport's surface detection system, ASDE-X, which is designed to track aircraft and ground vehicles, failed to provide an alert due to the absence of transponders on the fire trucks.
Fox News reported that the collision was not caused by a single error but by a breakdown across multiple safeguards, including human decision-making and technological support systems. The NTSB's preliminary report is subject to change as the investigation continues.
CNN noted that the final report will determine the probable cause of the collision. The Port Authority's ongoing review aims to address the issues identified in the NTSB's initial findings.
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