Eyewitnesses have described the moment Air Canada flight AC8646 crashed into a fire truck on the runway of New York's LaGuardia airport, killing two pilots and injuring dozens of others.
We were literally like 100 metres away, says 23-year-old Leo Medina, who was onboard another plane on the tarmac when the crash happened. It was like the plane got cut in half. He mentioned that after the incident, he had to return to the gate and waited in the airport for more than 12 hours, sleeping on the floor on a bed of jackets.
After visiting the crash site, US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy stressed the importance of wearing seat belts, sharing, As you see from last night, they do save lives.
Antoine Forest, a 30-year-old from Québec, was identified as one of the pilots who died during the crash, while the name of the second pilot has not been released. FAA administrator Bran Bedford expressed sorrow over the loss, stating, These were two young men at the start of their career, so it's an absolute tragedy.
In total, the incident injured 41 individuals who were taken to hospitals, with some suffering serious injuries. The crash occurred at 23:40 local time on Sunday and left LaGuardia airport closed until 14:00 on Monday, leading to hundreds of delayed or canceled flights. This was reported to be the first fatal incident at LaGuardia in over 34 years.
Passenger accounts highlight the chaos following the crash; Rebecca Liquori described a loud boom after the plane landed roughly, while another passenger, Jack Cabot, mentioned immediate panic as people screamed and sheltered down in their seats.
Reactions from officials have been swift, with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani calling it a tragic collision and ensuring investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board are underway. Amidst ongoing concerns regarding air travel safety, many are left reflecting on the grim realities of aviation operations.
