The flight aborted takeoff and requested a gate after an odor made flight attendants sick.
Firefighters and investigators examine the site, Monday, March 23, 2026, where an Air Canada jet came to rest after colliding with a Port Authority firetruck at LaGuardia Airport, after landing Sunday night in New York.
Kalshi and Polymarket rush to ban insider trading as senators move to curb prediction marketsICE officers aren’t trained in airport security. Can they help ease long lines?What to know about the deadly collision between a jet and fire truck at NYC’s LaGuardia Airport A United Airlines flight had twice aborted takeoff and reported an odor coming from the back of the plane. But with no gate immediately available, the pilot and controllers went back and forth over the radio as controllers tried to reach the airline and find a safe spot to put the plane.“Flight attendants in the back are feeling ill because of the odor,” the pilot can be heard saying. “We will need to go into any available gate at this time.” With no place to park the aircraft, air traffic control dispatched fire trucks to go to the plane instead and offered stairs to evacuate passengers, all while continuing to manage other traffic. Then a frantic warning cut across the radio: “Stop, stop, stop, Truck 1. Stop, stop, stop.” Moments later, the Air Canada flight landed and crashed into one of the fire trucks as it crossed the runway toward the United aircraft. The pilot and co-pilot of thelate Sunday is putting a renewed focus on the pressures facing air traffic controllers in the United States, a workforce that has long grappled with staffing shortages, demanding schedules, outdated equipment and the lingering effects of government shutdowns. About 40 passengers and crew members on the Air Canada jet and the two people in the fire truck were taken to hospitals, some with serious injuries. Most were released by Monday morning, authorities said. While investigators work to determine what led to the runway crash, aviation experts say the incident highlights the demanding environment controllers navigate every day — managing planes landing and taking off, aircraft moving between gates and runways, and service vehicles ranging from emergency responders to maintenance trucks. “In the best of times, air traffic controls and air traffic controllers are under a great deal of stress,” said Alan Diehl, a former federal crash investigator. “These are people with very high cognitive levels. They’re carefully selected, extensively trained. And one of the problems is there is a shortage of 3,000 of them in this country right now.” At a news conference Monday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, whose department oversees the Federal Aviation Administration, declined to say how many controllers were on duty at LaGuardia when the Canadian plane and the fire truck carrying Port Authority of New York and New Jersey police officers crossed paths. But he described the airport’s tower as generally “well staffed” and just short of its target of 37 controllers. He said the airport currently has 33 controllers assigned to it, and seven more who are in training. Duffy was confirmed as President Donald Trump’s transportation secretary the day before an Army helicopter and a passenger plane collided over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, killing 67 people. Since taking office, he has pledged to improve air controller staffing and to upgrade traffic control equipment.The FAA has been chronically understaffed for years. Air traffic controllers routinely work overtime and six-day work weeks, while dealing with outdated equipment. An Air Canada jet and Port Authority fire truck sit on the runway at LaGuardia Airport, Monday, March 23, 2026, after colliding with each other after the jet landed Sunday night in New York. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy speaks during a news conference at LaGuardia Airport, Monday, March 23, 2026, after an Air Canada jet collided the night before with a Port Authority firetruck shortly after landing in New York. Officials investigate the site, Monday, March 23, 2026, where an Air Canada jet came to rest after colliding with a Port Authority firetruck at LaGuardia Airport, shortly after landing Sunday night in New York. An Air Canada jet and Port Authority fire truck sit on the runway at LaGuardia Airport, Monday, March 23, 2026, after colliding with each other after the jet landed Sunday night in New York. Former FAA air traffic control chief Mike McCormick said that while LaGuardia is “not a control tower that has perennial staffing problems,” the overnight shift — when the crash occurred — would typically be staffed more lightly. Investigators were expected to examine how much overtime local controllers were working and how many consecutive days they had been on duty to determine whether fatigue could have played a role. Those questions are standard after crashes. John Cox, CEO of aviation consulting firm Safety Operating Systems, said National Transportation Safety Board investigators would closely examine the human factors surrounding the tower’s operations. “The staffing issue and the controller’s work schedule will certainly be something that they look at and only then can we determine if it’s a staffing or fatigue issue,” Cox said. In a statement Monday, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association emphasized the weight of the job. “Air traffic controllers work every day to keep passengers and cargo moving safely and efficiently,” the statement said. “We serve quietly, but moments like this remind us of the responsibility we carry — and how deeply it stays with us when tragedy occurs.”has been building for years . During a record U.S. government shutdown last fall that lasted 43 days, and a 35-day shutdown that spanned December 2018 and January 2019, controllers were required to continue working without pay, pushing some to quit or retire early. At the same time, training and hiring for new recruits was halted or slowed. Because certification can take years, experts, union leaders and agency officials have warned that the effects would linger long after funding resumed, compounding attrition and making recruitment more difficult. Shutdowns also diminish morale, Diehl said. Still, industry officials emphasize that moves to modernize the technology and equipment air traffic controllers use underway. Chris Sununu, CEO of airline trade group Airlines for America, said Congress has invested billions of dollars to upgrade aging technology and improve the system. “I think the air traffic control system has been under a lot of strain for 30 years,” Sununu said. “And that’s why Congress has put billions of dollars behind rebuilding the entire system. And we’ve already seen some pretty good successes.” He pointed to the transition away from paper flight progress strips to digital tools at many airports, along with the purchase of hundreds of new radar systems nationwide. A new traffic flow system with upgraded back-end technology is expected to roll out later this year, he said. “By and large, the air traffic controllers work really, really well with a very antiquated system and every day that goes by the system is now getting upgraded,” Sununu said.Mandatory evacuations still in place for southern Colorado wildfiresColorado lawmakers can pass 'Alyssa's Act' to help coaches and parents monitor mental health The 2026 Red Rocks season blasts off this week. Here's your guide to parking, changes, and more.Colorado is proposing major changes to autism therapy — and families are worried Denver Water eyes Empower Field lot for part of relocation, but some mobility advocates call plan ‘distressing’
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
LaGuardia Airport Crash: Air Canada Plane Collision Causes ClosureAn Air Canada flight collided with a Port Authority vehicle after landing late Sunday
Read more »
Air Canada Plane Crash at LaGuardia, Political Tensions Rise, and International Crises EruptThis news report details a series of significant events, including a fatal plane crash at LaGuardia Airport, political controversy over ICE agent deployment at airports, escalating conflicts in the Middle East, and severe flooding in Hawaii. These events highlight the complex challenges facing various communities and the need for effective responses.
Read more »
LaGuardia Plane Crash Audio Reveals Aftermath of Collision: ‘I Messed Up’An Air Canada regional jet struck a firetruck on the runway of New York’s LaGuardia Airport late Sunday.
Read more »
LaGuardia plane crash audio captures moments before fatal collision: 'I messed up'Today's Video Headlines: 3/22/2026
Read more »
Several flights canceled from Cleveland Hopkins to New York's LaGuardia Airport due to deadly crashPosition: Multimedia Journalist
Read more »
LaGuardia plane crash: 2 dead, 40+ injured after Air Canada jet crashAir Canada Express Flight 8646 struck a rescue vehicle after landing at LaGuardia around 11:45 p.m., killing both pilots.
Read more »