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Officials Give Update on Deadly LaGuardia Collision; Two Pilots Killed in Runway Collision at LaGuardia Airport. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired March 23, 2026 - 15:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[15:30:00]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Now we're standing by to hear from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the FAA administrator following the deadly runway collision involving this Air Canada plane and a fire truck at LaGuardia airport. We're also getting a rough timeline surrounding the incident using video footage and air traffic control audio. At about 11:35 Sunday night the Air Canada flight was cleared to land on runway four.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Then moments later fire truck one requests permission to cross runway four at the intersecting taxiway. An air traffic controller grants the request. Listen to how it unfolds.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FIRE TRUCK: Truck on and company, LaGuardia tower. Requesting to cross four at Delta.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: Truck one and company. Cross four at Delta.

FIRE TRUCK: Truck one and company. Four at Delta.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: Frontier 4195 just stop there please.

Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop truck one. Stop. Stop. Stop.

Stop truck one. Stop. Stop truck one. Stop.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Let's head now to LaGuardia where Secretary Duffy is speaking.

SEAN DUFFY, TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: Executive Director Kathryn Garcia, Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Mamdani all here with us. Each is going to speak in regard to this press conference. When this is over, we'll take your questions but just want to give you a caveat.

There may be a lot of questions about a lot of issues. We are here to talk about what happened last night at LaGuardia so if you have other questions please don't ask them. That's a different press conference for a different time.

So moments ago I had a chance to speak to President Trump after he finished his press conference in Memphis. Also spoke with the Transport Minister of Canada Stephen MacKinnon and again our two teams work very closely together. I want to take a moment and just walk through the facts again of what happened.

There was a CJR 900 from Montreal here to LaGuardia operated by Air Canada Express and by Jazz. It collided with a Port Authority fire truck at approximately 11:45 p.m. last night. There were 72 passengers on the plane and four crew.

Approximately 40 people were sent to the hospital after the crash. Several have also been released. As has been reported the two pilots of the aircraft passed away in the crash last night.

I do want to note that we send our deepest condolences to their families as they're going through no doubt a grieving process. There were two individuals in the fire truck. They too were sent to the hospital after the crash.

Now there's a lot of questions I know about what do we know at this time and what we are going to do is give you the information that we can. We all have the respect for the NTSB. The NTSB goes through a thorough investigation, and we are conscious about the information and the facts that we give you because we want that information to be accurate.

There's some information that we hold back that the NTSB has that we allow them to do the investigation and it takes months sometimes up to a year before we get the findings of that investigation. But NTSB is on the ground at the airport. The FAA is on the ground, over 10 people from the FAA are here as well as Transport Canada is sending a team to LaGuardia as well.

Our two countries work very well together. There's a well-worn path where we collaborate together when there's aviation crashes in either of our countries. The administrator and I were at the crash site earlier today which is easily visible from the airport, and it's incredibly sad.

It's troubling and I just want to let America know that we it's incredibly sad. It's troubling and I just want to let America know that we are working our hearts out to make sure that when people travel whether by rail or car or by air that they travel safely and we put in precautions and policies to make sure that you are safe when you travel. When I was at the crash site it was just a reminder that when you're traveling by air you should wear your seat belt.

If you see the videos of the air crash wear your seat belt when you're on the airplane. Also in a car wear a seat belt as you see from last night, they do save lives. I'd also note that as of now LaGuardia is open.

There is a reduced capacity because the aircraft and the fire truck are still in their positions from last night. So we are going to have reduced capacity for some time, but the airport is operational. Again we'll come back and take your questions but at this time I want to turn it over to the FAA administrator Brian Bedford. BRYAN BEDFORD, FAA ADMINISTRATOR: Thank you, Secretary Duffy. Again I want to extend my deepest sympathies on behalf of the 44,000 men and women of the Federal Aviation Administration. We take our responsibilities quite seriously managing the safety of the air traffic control system in the national airspace.

So we're deeply, deeply moved by the tragedy of last night. I've been in contact with the leadership teams of both Air Canada and Air Canada Jazz to express our sympathies as well as my peer at Transport Canada. And of course we are a supporting agency in the investigation now.

The National Transportation Safety Board is running the investigation. So there are a few facts we're going to be able to share with you today. What I can share with you of course the weather conditions last night were moderate winds out of the 050 at seven knots.

We had broken ceilings at 9,000 feet. Visibility roughly four miles in raining conditions. So there was mist and fog here at the LaGuardia airport last night.

We had a situation with United Airlines aircraft that had experienced an aborted takeoff. This is the reason why the fire and rescue crew had been deployed. Of course the Air Canada flight was arriving on runway four when the incident took place at the Delta intersection.

Again I want to extend my sympathies to the families of the two pilots. These were two young men at the start of their careers. So it's an absolute tragedy, you know, that we're sitting here with their loss. So my heart really goes out to the families for sure.

But we are committed to a full transparent investigation. We will support the NTSB in any way possible. And again we look forward to being able to take concrete actions to ensure something like this will never happen again. Thank you.

KATHRYN GARCIA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY PORT AUTHORITY: Hi, I'm Kathryn Garcia, executive director of the Port Authority and I want to add our voice to those that you've heard before and share our deepest sympathies with the families of the captain and the first officer who passed away last night. The Port Authority takes great pride in being able to work with all of our partners to deliver safety for the flying public. And it has been over 34 years since we had had an incident with a death at the airport.

As the secretary said at approximately 11:40 last night Air Canada flight 8646 operated by Jazz Aviation collided with the Port Authority aircraft rescue and firefighter vehicle on runway four. The our vehicle carried Sergeant Orsillo and officer Baez. Both were taken to New York Presbyterian hospital. We expect one to be released later this afternoon and the other to be kept overnight for observation.

And in accordance with our emergency plan, our mutual aid partners, the fire department of New York and the New York police department immediately responded. They transferred over 43 people to the hospital during the evening though many have been released at this time. At approximately 5:30 this morning the airport reopened for passengers and our first flight, a Delta flight, left about a minute after two this afternoon. Again I want to share my deepest sympathies with the families. This could have been an even broader tragedy if everyone had not responded as quickly and effectively as they did.

Thank you. And I'm going to turn it over to the governor, New York Governor, Kathy Hochul.

GOV. KATHY HOCHUL, (D) NEW YORK: Thank you, Kathryn. While the facts of what happened last night, 11:45 p.m. were well known, yes, it was an aviation disaster, the likes of which we have not seen here in over three decades, but it's a deeply human story. Where two young pilots left their homes expecting to return of their families and they will not. And this is what pains everyone here in the state of New York. I've conveyed our condolences to the Canadian government.

I have walked the halls and gone up to Port Authority personnel and police telling them how grateful we are that they put their lives out there every single day to make sure our traveling public is safe. So to the entire Port Authority and LaGuardia family I want you to know we are very cognizant of the traumatizing impact this has on you and indeed your own families. So I want to first convey my gratitude to all of you and sympathies to those who have had their lives shattered as a result of this and those who have sustained injuries.

It's not what you expect when you get on an airplane. But also, I want to offer the full cooperation of New York state with the investigation. I'm grateful also to Secretary Duffy and Administrator Bedford for coming right here on this day. It's important to have your presence to know that this will be addressed at the highest levels and also support from the mayor who represents many of the people who work here as I do and Kathryn Garcia.

Up until a short time ago she was my top state operations officer in charge of every disaster, every crisis that has befallen the state of New York in the last four years. So she is a top consummate professional and I have great confidence in her ability as well. So let me leave close with this.

Let's acknowledge the tremendous stress particularly in recent days that our airline workers are under and as we come through here, know that this is an ecosystem which is not self-sustaining. There are countless individuals who step up every day willing to do the hard work to make sure we're safe, and in my judgment they all deserve gratitude not just on this day but as I often do walking through airports just saying thank you with a heart full of gratitude for what they do to make our lives safer and better. Thank you.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI, (D) NEW YORK CITY: Good afternoon. I want to begin by echoing the words that have been shared before me and also by thanking our partners in city, state and federal government who are here today. As has been shared late last night a Jazz aviation flight operating on behalf of Air Canada struck a Port Authority aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle on runway four at LaGuardia airport.

Both pilots of the aircraft were killed in the crash, and I echo the words of the governor and those who spoke before in sending our deepest condolences to the families and to the many who are mourning their loss. I'm grateful for the work of dedicated first responders including the men and women from the NYPD, the FDNY and NYSEM who arrived on the scene within minutes treated injuries and handled a chaotic scene with incredible professionalism and poise. I also want to commend those who were thrust into a frightening accident and reacted not only with composure but by extending a hand to the person next to them.

Passengers who opened the emergency door and helped one another off the plane. People who kept one another calm. And I know that this crash has shaken New Yorkers across the five boroughs, whether they are traveling today or simply watching from home. Especially since it's the first fatal crash at LaGuardia in more than 30 years. I want New Yorkers to know that the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of this accident and that we will not rest until the conclusion of that investigation.

We have been coordinating closely with our partners across government since late last night and we will continue to do so. Air Canada has set up a hotline for families and friends of the flight's passengers, and I encourage those who are worried about their loved ones to call. That number is 1-800-961-7099.

While LaGuardia was closed since the accident until 2 p.m. today, it has since reopened. I want to thank the many New Yorkers and visitors who had their travel plans impacted for their patience and their understanding as well as those who work here at LaGuardia and the Port Authority for how they have not only responded to this accident but the work that they do each and every day.

[15:45:00]

As we continue to learn information, we will share it with you and in the meantime, let us keep those who died in our thoughts and continue to hope for a quick recovery for those who were injured. Thank you.

DUFFY: So just a couple of additional comments before we take your questions. I just want to make a note that when these incidents happen, you see politics fade away and people work together and that's why you have people with very different political views coming together, standing together to respond together to an incident like this, number one. Number two, I know that Jennifer Homendy and the NTSB is going to do a press conference later today with some initial findings that they'll have with this crash.

I want to make another point. You know, I've been asking the Congress for additional money. Many of you have reported that we need more money for air traffic control.

We are modernizing our system, but we can't fully modernize it until the Congress gives us additional money. It's not a partisan issue. Both Democrats and Republicans agree, but they have to will to finish the funding.

I'm not saying that this crash would have been prevented if we had all the equipment deployed, but it's important if we care about air travel safety, we care about having a brand new air traffic control system, the best in the world with the best equipment, virtually all of it developed here in America. Before you ask me a question about our staffing for air traffic controllers, I'll just give you an update on how LaGuardia operates. I'm not going to talk about specifics, but this airport has a target of 37 controllers at LaGuardia.

We have 33 controllers employed, certified at LaGuardia, and we have six that are -- seven actually, that are in training. So as our airports go, LaGuardia is a very well-staffed airport. We're a couple controllers short in total, but it is a well-staffed airport.

Again, 33 certified controllers that operate out of the tower here at LaGuardia. With that, we are happy to take any of your questions that are specific to what happened last night. Go ahead.

(INAUDIBLE)

DUFFY: Yes, so the question is in regard to what was the staffing in the tower last night, and we have a very good relationship with the NTSB. We have information. We don't put that information out.

We allow the NTSB to gather the information, double, triple check it, and it goes into their report. So I'm not going to give the data on that. Again, that's an arrangement we have with the NTSB, letting them actually do their investigation.

And so that's not for us to tell you. That'll be for the NTSB at the appropriate time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What was troubling to you?

DUFFY: Well, it's troubling that we had an aircraft hit a fire truck. I mean, that's troubling. Full stop.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can I have a question for the director?

DUFFY: Go ahead.

(INAUDIBLE)

DUFFY: So the question is should the truck have stopped? And again, this goes to information that we have, but we give it to the NTSB. They analyze it, and they make the judgment call on what should have happened in regard to air traffic control trucks and airplanes.

And through that investigation, they then put out a report. So I can't give you specifics on what went wrong. That's for Jennifer Homendy and the NTSB.

(INAUDIBLE)

DUFFY: So, Enrique, I told you I'm not going to talk about specifics, but for that question, I'll just tell you that is inaccurate.

(INAUDIBLE)

DUFFY: So with air traffic controllers, we have surged in our training facility, which is in Oklahoma City. We are putting more controllers through our academy.

[15:50:00]

Now, it does take time to train up as a controller. If you come to a very busy space like N-90 in New York or LaGuardia, it's going to take you over a year to train up in a facility like this. So there's some lag time as we get controllers through the academy, and we need them trained up in a facility. As I mentioned, there's seven controllers.

Many of them have a lot of experience in different facilities, but they have to be trained up specifically in this airspace. What I've also done is I have offered bonuses to air traffic controllers who are of the age to retire. I've asked them to not retire, to stay on the job, and we're paying them a 20 percent bonus just so we can bridge this shortfall.

But as airports go, LaGuardia is a well-staffed airport. Even though we do have shortages, I was speaking specifically in regard to the dollars that we need for the technological upgrade. We have, there's -- again, this was not tonight, but there's copper wires.

We use analog, not digital. There's a whole suite of technological upgrades that we want to make that will make the job of air traffic controlling much easier. And again, it's a separate issue, but I think it underscores the point that the Congress does need to do their job.

And there's bipartisan agreement, so they should, in a bipartisan way, come together and figure out a way to give us the rest of the dollars to complete the job. I'll take one more question right here.

(INAUDIBLE)

DUFFY: So it's a great question, and again, you want me to front-run the NTSB, and I can't -- I'm not going to front-run the NTSB.

We have a great working relationship with them, and we've set this up, and it's the right way. We take a step back, and I don't give you all of the information. I let the NTSB take that information and do their analysis.

And I'll just say oftentimes what we learn is information that we have at the start of an incident like this oftentimes is wrong. And so what we think we know right now, that's why it goes to the NTSB. They pressure test it, they investigate it, and then they come out with a report for all of you.

But I did want to clarify, I've heard the rumor that there was only one controller in the tower, and that's not accurate. Listen, I want to thank you all for coming out. Again, we are committed to safety.

We are committed to working together to make sure when you fly, you get to your destination. Thank you.

SANCHEZ: We've been listening to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy alongside the FAA Administrator and some local officials there in New York after the crash of this Air Canada flight with a fire truck right there on the runway -- one of the runways at LaGuardia Airport. Sean Duffy saying that he spoke with President Trump, who's closely monitoring the situation. He trusts that the investigation will get to the bottom of what went wrong.

He didn't want to get ahead of the FAA in revealing any new information. He did say that Jennifer Homendy of the NTSB will do an additional briefing later with some findings, initial findings regarding the accident.

KEILAR: We did learn some things about the folks who passed away and the two pilots who were killed were quite young, they said, really just at the beginning of their career. And some good news, I think we learned about the two firefighters, the Port Authority firefighters. One is going to be released today, and it sounds like the other, they say, is being held overnight for observation, so perhaps being released tomorrow. So that is some good news there.

Let's bring in a retired FAA air traffic controller, Dave Riley, and commercial airline pilot Josh Schirard is with us as well. Dave, I wonder what you thought about what you heard there and what you're expecting to hear from the NTSB, especially considering what we have heard from the controller audio so far.

DAVE RILEY, RETIRED FAA AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Yes, thanks for having me, Brianna. Yes, it'll be interesting to see what they come up with as far as the details. Not much revealed in the press or as the secretary said he wasn't going to reveal any details.

I'm still curious, he said that there was a rumor of the controller was working -- was the only one in the tower. That phrasing is very specific. I'd be curious how many people were actually in the tower cab, because that controller seemed to be doing a lot of coordination that requires his attention away from scanning runways and dealing with the movement of air traffic and vehicles around and when he's coordinating for a gate for the United flight that was in an emergency state at the time.

[15:55:05]

So it'll be interesting what that Chairman Homendy reveals in her briefing as well. But it just speaks to how vital the job that air traffic controllers do day in and day out. And with the recent low staffing, while the secretary mentioned that they're staffed very well, I'd be curious on schedules, on how much this particular controller has worked six days a week, 10 hours a day.

What's the work schedule? What's the fatigue factor for these controllers that is not only possibly a contributing factor to this one, but around the country?

SANCHEZ: Sure, Josh, what's your reaction to what you heard there? JOSH SCHIRARD, COMMERCIAL AIRLINE PILOT: Same, there's still a lot of questions to be answered here. And some was brought up by the retired controller there, but others, as far as policy and how things are handled there on the airport, especially when you start getting into late nights. Obviously, he mentioned the rumor that this controller was working both ground and tower frequencies.

Was he the only one there, especially during an emergency? We had a United plane that had declared an emergency, which should activate some additional resources and a little bit different status on that airport as well, that should really kind of heighten everyone's sense of awareness there. But unfortunately, a lot of people get tunnel vision, you know, the pilots and the drivers of the truck included, and that's the time that you really have to step back.

So we really need to take a closer look. Look, I get it, we all want us to take a step back and say, hey, we need to wait for this investigation to see what kind of changes we want to make. But we're in an industry where this happens every day.

We have 30,000 flights every day. Over 3 million passengers get on a plane every day here in the U.S. So we need to be able to look at this very, very quickly, and say what changes need to be made now to make sure that this doesn't happen again.

And then we can start to take a step back and look down the road.

KEILAR: And Josh, real quick because we have about a minute left here, maybe a little less. Even as we're waiting for what can be a prolonged investigation, what do you think in the short term those changes may need to be, Josh?

SCHIRARD: Well, one is obviously if in fact that controller was working both frequencies. I understand it's late, traffic may be lower, but working both frequencies means that their attention is absolutely divided. The other is making sure that both anyone driving on the airport or that are flying into it understand that if he's working both frequencies, they can't hear both frequencies.

You know, the truck probably had no idea that he was talking to a plane on tower frequency and vice versa. So now these players have no idea that the other one is in play. So as we move forward, we really need to take a look at some of these procedures, how they're handled, especially under low traffic conditions.

SANCHEZ: No doubt a tough situation. And as you noted, a lot of questions to be answered. We will be hearing from the NTSB a bit later this afternoon with their initial findings regarding this accident.

Josh Schirard, Dave Riley, thank you both so much for walking us through all of that. As we continue to follow the breaking news, two pilots killed in a runway collision at LaGuardia airport. You can follow the latest as "THE ARENA" with Kasie Hunt starts after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) END