A recent collision between an Air Canada regional jet and an airport fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, which resulted in two fatalities and multiple injuries, has drawn increased attention to long-standing safety concerns at the facility. Pilots have consistently reported issues such as miscommunication from air traffic controllers and close calls with ground vehicles for decades, with data from official safety systems documenting numerous incidents.
The Recent Collision
On a recent Sunday, an Air Canada regional jet, flight 646 from Montreal, collided with an airport fire truck (Truck 1) on Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport. The incident resulted in the deaths of the two pilots, MacKenzie Gunther and Antoine Forest, and injuries to 41 other individuals, including passengers, crew members, and two police officers who were in the fire truck.
The collision occurred after air traffic controllers had been managing a United Airlines flight that had twice aborted takeoff and reported an odor, causing its flight attendants to feel ill. Fire trucks had been dispatched to the United Airlines aircraft to provide assistance. An air traffic controller had initially cleared the fire truck to cross the runway but subsequently issued a "Stop, stop, stop" warning or attempted a last-minute stop command.
A recording captured the controller stating that an earlier emergency had led to a "mistake" or that they had "messed up."
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), led by chair Jennifer Homendy, is investigating the crash. The aircraft's cockpit and flight data recorders were recovered undamaged, and the runway involved was expected to remain closed for several days following the incident.
Prior Safety Concerns and Incidents at LaGuardia
The recent collision has brought renewed focus to a history of safety concerns at LaGuardia Airport. Publicly available reports reviewed by various news organizations span at least three decades, with government records from the past two years specifically highlighting pilot concerns regarding miscommunication, air traffic control errors, and other hazards.
Reports submitted to the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS), a voluntary and anonymous system for aerospace industry employees, detail numerous incidents:
- Last summer, an airline captain reported a close call involving another aircraft and noted a lack of air traffic control (ATC) guidance regarding a departing flight crossing their runway during landing. The captain also expressed concern about an increasing pace of operations and controllers "pushing operational limits." This pilot reportedly compared LaGuardia's conditions on thunderstorm days to those at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) before a mid-air collision in January 2025.
- In December 2024, a report described a plane coming close to another aircraft on the ground due to inaccurate ATC instructions.
- In October, two Delta Airlines regional jets collided on a LaGuardia taxiway, resulting in one hospitalization. The NTSB is also investigating this October 1 ground collision where the wing of one regional jet struck the cockpit of another airliner.
- In July 2024, multiple reports described near-collisions where aircraft cleared to taxi across a runway came close to landing aircraft, requiring ground control to issue last-minute stop commands.
- A September 2015 incident involved an airport vehicle crossing a runway intersection as an Embraer 190 passenger jet began its takeoff roll, leading ATC to stop the airliner when vehicles were approximately 1,300 feet apart.
- In 2001, an Airbus A320 pilot reported narrowly missing a snowplow by 50-75 feet during takeoff from Runway 4, noting the controller was managing both tower and ground traffic.
- Other accounts in NASA reports detail airliners performing abrupt stops to avoid ground vehicles, including a 2016 incident involving a fuel truck that caused a flight attendant to sustain a minor injury, and a 2021 incident where a maintenance pickup failed to yield, forcing an "abrupt stop."
- A runway status light system, intended to reduce incursions, was reportedly not operational, and issues with a runway lighting system being turned off have also been reported.
Safety Data from Official Systems
A review of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) official database of runway incursions identified at least 132 incidents at LaGuardia since 2000. Of these, 17 involved maintenance, snow, or other support vehicles improperly on runways. Six reports were filed in 2025, including incidents involving a pedestrian, a ground vehicle, and multiple aircraft.
The NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) contains at least 122 reports of ground conflicts and incursions by flight crews, controllers, and other personnel at LaGuardia since 2000, with at least 17 involving ground support vehicles. Some incidents appear in both FAA and NASA systems, while others are unique to one.
Systemic Challenges in Air Traffic Control
The recent collision has intensified scrutiny on the operational environment for U.S. air traffic controllers, who have faced long-standing staffing shortages, demanding schedules, outdated equipment, and the impact of government shutdowns.
Alan Diehl, a former federal crash investigator, noted a national shortage of approximately 3,000 personnel.
Regarding LaGuardia's staffing, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated the tower is generally "well staffed," with 33 certified controllers and seven trainees, slightly below its target of 37. Former FAA air traffic control chief Mike McCormick suggested that overnight shifts, when the crash occurred, are typically staffed more lightly. Investigators are expected to examine controller overtime and work schedules.
Challenges for the workforce have been exacerbated by government shutdowns, which required controllers to work without pay, leading some to quit or retire early and slowing training for new recruits. A partial government shutdown since mid-February was also noted as contributing to issues, including aging equipment and a shortage of security screeners; over 450 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers reportedly resigned during this period. NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy reported being delayed by security lines during her travel for investigation. The Trump administration deployed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to airports to assist with non-specialized security support, such as managing exit lanes and crowd control, to alleviate pressure on TSA officers.
Despite these challenges, industry leaders and officials assert that efforts to modernize FAA technology and equipment are underway. Chris Sununu, CEO of Airlines for America, mentioned congressional investments in upgrading aging technology, citing transitions from paper flight progress strips to digital tools, the purchase of new radar systems, and an upcoming new traffic flow system.