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What We Know with Max Foster
Trump Says Iranians Looking For A Deal, "Want Peace"; LaGuardia Air Traffic Controller After Crash: "I Messed Up"; Police Treat London Ambulance Arson As Antisemitic Attack; Officials Give Update On Deadly LaGuardia Collision. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired March 23, 2026 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:30]
MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: New details on the crash at LaGuardia.
This is WHAT WE KNOW.
Any minute now, we are expecting an update on the deadly collision at New York's LaGuardia Airport. The head of the U.S. Department of
Transportation, plus the head of the Federal Aviation Administration, will both be giving an update to reporters just minutes from now.
Now, we just received new surveillance video of Sunday's crash. You can see how this Air Canada flight collides with a fire truck on the tarmac. The
two pilots on board that plane were killed. The airports now back open with just one runway. Actually, at the moment in operation.
We'll bring that news conference to you when we get it to help explain what we know so far.
For now, though, we want to focus on some big updates on the war in Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump is backing off his ultimatum to Iran, and his
about-face is giving some hope for a diplomatic solution to the war. The president -- the president says the two countries have renewed talks,
calling them productive. He says that that convinced him to push his deadline to Friday for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to avoid strikes
on its power plants.
But Tehran, it must be noted, says there's no dialogue with Washington. Now, President Trump says the discussion started over the weekend, and the
president says U.S. officials are talking to a top person in Iran, and he believes the Iranians want peace.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have had very, very strong talks. We'll see where they lead. We have points, major points of
agreement. I would say almost all points of agreement.
So, the discussions took place yesterday. They went into yesterday evening. They want very much to make a deal. We'd like to make a deal, too. We're
going to get together today by probably phone because it's very hard to find a country -- it's very hard for them to get out. I guess. But we'll at
some point very, very soon meet. We're doing a five-day
But we'll at some point very, very soon meet. We're doing a five-day period. We'll see how that goes. And if it goes well, we're going to end up
with settling this. Otherwise, we'll just keep bombing our little hearts out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: CNN's Kristen Holmes, standing by for us. So, we are all getting all of this from the White House point of view, aren't we? Because the
Iranians aren't confirming these talks.
KRISTEN HOLMES, Yeah, that's right. I mean, everything we're hearing is coming from President Trump or from his associates, from people within the
administration.
What we know now is that President Trump lobbied this threat of these attacks on these key energy sites on Saturday if Iran did not open up the
Strait of Hormuz. Of course, as you noted, the Strait of Hormuz is still not open.
He says that these discussions happened shortly after he said that he would start attacking these key energy sites if there was no movement, if Iran
did not actually open up the Strait.
We heard from the president. He was asked specific questions about who in Iran he was talking to. He said he didn't want to get into those details,
other than to say it was not the new supreme leader. He said he didn't want that person to get killed.
As you have noted, the Iranian foreign ministry has said there are no discussions, either direct or indirect, happening with Washington.
But clearly, President Trump is saying there's some movement there. He said there was going to be phone calls later today. He also said there was going
to be potential for a sit-down meeting at some point between the two sides. Unclear when or what exactly that would look like.
Now, interestingly, President Trump said even if they were to come to a deal, he was still going to try to get that $200 billion for Pentagon
funding, saying that they would need it down the line at some point.
But yet, there are still -- we still don't have any details here of what exactly is going on in these conversations, other than the fact that Steve
Witkoff and Jared Kushner are part of it for the American side.
Now, President Trump said at one point that Iran and the U.S. had come to terms on 15 points of agreement. He wouldn't get into what any of them are,
only to note that Iran had said that it would commit to not having a nuclear weapon. And, of course, that's something that they've said publicly
as well.
FOSTER: OK, Kristen, thank you so much.
One CNN analyst says Donald Trump's comments are very surprising, but it's too early to say whether Iran might be open to making a deal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARAK RAVID, CNN POLITICAL & GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: It doesn't mean that the leadership that is running the show right now, mainly the commanders of
the IRGC, that they are ready for any kind of deal. The Iranian foreign minister, although he's a government official, senior government official,
he does not call the shots, or at least he's only one part of a much bigger decision-making process.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: So, what we want to know is could U.S. President Donald Trump strike a deal with the Iranian regime?
Joining me now is Fred Pleitgen, who recently returned, of course, to Iran.
I mean, have you got any insight into what, you know, whether there are any talks, what sort of talks there might be?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think talks is probably a word that the Iranians wouldn't use.
FOSTER: Yes.
PLEITGEN: And I think we heard some of the messaging here from the top leadership, or at least those who appear to have the most influence right
now in Iran, saying that there definitely aren't any negotiations going on at this point. But that doesn't mean that there haven't been messages
exchanged.
And if you hear some of the people talking in the Iranian foreign ministry, and in general coming out of Iran, they do seem to acknowledge that maybe
things were passed on not directly, but possibly via third countries.
So, it seems as though there is some sort of communication that is going on, but certainly not something that the Iranians would say are
negotiations. And I think some of the messaging that we've heard, especially from Iran's foreign minister, from Abbas Araqchi, has been that
the Iranians don't want negotiations at this point in time, don't want a ceasefire.
However, they do say that if there is going to be an end to the war that's going on right now, it has to be a broader agreement to end the conflict
between the United States and Iran in the greater Middle Eastern region.
So, they're aiming for a larger agreement with the U.S. So, it's unclear whether or not that was what President Trump was talking about, whether or
not, I don't know, maybe he was divulging things that maybe the Iranians wouldn't want divulged. But it certainly does appear as though behind the
scenes, there are messages that have been passed.
And I wouldn't say that both sides right now would be against ending the armed conflict that's going on. But at the same time, of course, both sides
are saying that it needs to be a larger agreement to not only cover, for instance, nuclear, but to cover ballistic missiles and other things. But in
general, to try and bring stability to the Middle Eastern region.
FOSTER: The Iranians are in a very strong bargaining position, aren't they? The way they've developed this leverage around the Strait of Hormuz,
would they necessarily, you know, Trump wants a deal? I mean, the question is, do they want a deal?
PLEITGEN: Well, they said that they are going to continue putting pressure on the Strait of Hormuz as long as they see fit.
One of the things that I think you interestingly point out, and that's a really important factor in this, is that after the assassination of
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Iranians came to the conclusion that in the past, when the Americans have struck Iranian assets, have assassinated
Iranian leaders, Qasem Soleimani, the head of the foreign wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in 2020, but then also the Israeli
attacks in June of last year, where the U.S. then of course bombed Iran's nuclear facilities, they have felt that their responses have been too weak,
that it was inviting the United States to strike them again.
So, they're certainly out to prove a point right now that they can project power into the Strait of Hormuz. And not just that, I think one of the
things that we've seen really in the past couple of days is with President Trump threatening to hit Iran's energy infrastructure, the Iranians have
shown that they still have a command-and-control structure that's very much intact. They have shown that they can be nimble as far as using their
ballistic missile forces.
And I think a real wake-up call for the whole region, the Gulf region, was when the Israelis attacked the Natanz nuclear facility. I think it was on
Friday or Saturday. The Iranians were immediately able to strike the town of Dimona, which of course is the nuclear town in Israel.
And that must have been an attack that was decided upon very quickly as an answer to the Israelis striking Natanz. So the Iranians are still showing
that they do have their command structure in place, and that their ballistic missiles can still be devastating.
FOSTER: That area around the Strait of Hormuz, Trump is clearly talking in some way of securing it.
PLEITGEN: Yes.
FOSTER: How easy is that?
PLEITGEN: No, I think it's almost impossible to secure it.
I actually -- I think it was in 2010 or 2012, I was -- I was able to go through the Strait of Hormuz aboard the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike
group when they were doing a show of force there. And it is remarkable how close you get to the shore of Iran. It is remarkable how close you see it
in front of you, how close the Iranians are there.
So even with warships, I think it would be very difficult to secure all of this. And then also, it's -- it's extremely expensive, it's extremely
difficult, and it would bind large parts of the world's navies to be able to do that, because so many ships go through the Strait of Hormuz on
average every day, that in order to keep it open, I'm not sure what would happen to the price of oil, but for the militaries that would secure that,
it would be extremely expensive and extremely dangerous.
FOSTER: What about ground troops? Because there's talk of marines being sent in that direction at least.
PLEITGEN: Yeah, I mean, it depends on what you would do. But one of the things about Iran that you notice when you get there is, it's extremely
mountainous.
[15:10:02]
And it's definitely a terrain that very much favors the defenders. It's a terrain that you could easily get bogged down into guerrilla warfare.
And the thing about the mountain ranges in Iran, they sort of -- they surround the country. So even driving into the country getting into the
country is difficult through the mountain passes, through the roads.
Depending on what they would do, maybe it's something that could be feasible. But again, your troops would be on a platter there with the
Iranians. And the Iranians also, we have to keep in mind are masters at guerrilla warfare. It's something that they've cultivated over the past 10-
15 years.
Qasem Soleimani, of course, that general that President Trump assassinated was someone who put up a lot of these forces in the greater Middle Eastern
region over years and they're very loyal obviously to the Iranian leadership.
It seems like something that would be -- that would be very difficult and where possibly if a deal could be reached that might be preferable to
putting ground troops in Iran.
FOSTER: And just one last question because everyone's asking about the new supreme leader. He's put a message out through state media, but we haven't
seen him.
PLEITGEN: Yeah.
FOSTER: What's the talk there?
PLEITGEN: It's very difficult to assess. I mean when you speak to Iranian officials, I've spoken to a few they say he is in command.
He does control, you know what the Islamic Republic does. They check all of the policy decisions with him. It's unclear what exactly his status is.
I'm not sure that as far as decision-making is concerned that it matters what capacity he's in whether or not he has communications with his top
general where he is or whether or not, you know --
FOSTER: Because they know that man, it's been --
PLEITGEN: They know their plan. But the thing is also that the power structure of the Islamic Republic is intact. And if you look at it, when
Ali Khamenei was killed, the supreme leader was killed, there were many people who thought there would be a massive break in the leadership of the
Islamic Republic because he still was very much in control of all the decision-making. It didn't take long for them to replace him. It didn't
take that long for them to replace their entire other senior leadership and even with people like Ali Larijani who people said was in control. That
also didn't take long to replenish either.
The whole structure -- the whole power structure is predicated on being able to reconstitute itself and doing that in a very, very short period of
time. And I think one thing that people need to understand who talk about Iran is how widespread and how multi-layered that power structure is when
we were on the ground. One of the things that really stood out to us about Iran was that the amount of on the street level regular checkpoints, just
people popping up out of nowhere being armed another group here, often not necessarily in communication with one another, they have a lot of people
under arms and they have a lot of people keeping that power structure in place.
FOSTER: Organized.
Fred, thank you so much. Great to have you here.
All right. Any moment now, we are expecting to hear from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, New York's LaGuardia Airport reopening
one of its runways just a short while ago and that was just hours after a deadly ground collision and investigation is underway into that collision
between an Air Canada plane and a fire truck. We hope to hear where that's at the two pilots of the airplane died and more than people were taken to
hospital.
That is the scene you can see, we had some video earlier of the actual incident. You can see how disruptive this has been in the absolute carnage
is brought to the front of that plane and the truck, of course, as well, but we want to play you some sound now. It was captured just moments after
the LaGuardia crash and their traffic controller seems to say "I messed up" when talking about it.
Have a listen.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
FRONTIER PILOT: That wasn't good to watch.
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: Yeah, I know I was here. I tried to reach out to my staff. We were dealing with an emergency earlier. I messed up.
FRONTIER PILOT: Nah man. You did the best you could.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
FOSTER: Well, it can take a year or longer to conduct a proper investigation into incidents like this and many investigations conclude
that multiple factors contributed to this accident.
CNN's Shimon Prokopecz is at LaGuardia Airport for us.
What do you want to hear from this press conference, Shimon?
SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's certainly one of the things that we want to know about is who was in the
tower, the air traffic control tower was the air traffic controller by himself were there other people there, you know, a lot of -- it's been a
lot of stories and there's been a lot of complaints that many of the air traffic controllers are overworked. Sometimes many of them are doing
multiple jobs at once and you know, was that a situation here where this air traffic controller was doing two things at once, manning the grand
ground controls, but also dealing with planes that were taking off or coming in.
And you know traffic generally here at LaGuardia on a Sunday night at 11:30 p.m. is light so that could be why. So that's -- that's sort of what I want
to hear about.
I also want to hear about some of the efforts that were made by passengers who seemingly at this point seem to have to -- seem to take in matter
matters into their own hands because you had the two pilots, right, when you're on a plane the pilots are in charge, they're given direction to
flight attendants. They died here. They were killed how quickly were they killed is unclear, but they made an effort to try and stop that plane.
You know, we heard from passengers who said that they could feel it. They could hear the pilots trying to pump the brakes and they were able to slow
the plane down but not enough to prevent it and then a flight attendant wound up outside the plane during the crash. There was a crash -- the crash
happens that flight attendant is strapped in her jump seat and somehow winds up outside the plane and rescue workers find her still in her chair
strapped to her seatbelts.
So seemingly there was only one flight attendant at that point. The heroic efforts that's kind of also what I want to hear about. And I want to hear
more about these pilots and who they were and -- this was a regional jet. So probably younger pilots. I'm sure, you know, enough experience to fly
this and to deal with these situations but what's so sad and horrific is that they just never had a chance to try and stop this plane despite their
efforts.
And really more about this air traffic control, I think that's where this focus is going to be in this investigation and what was happening in the
tower at that time.
FOSTER: Okay, Shimon, we'll be back with you, as we get that update. Thank you so much for speaking to us ahead of it.
Also joining us, Mary Schiavo, our transportation analyst. We've seen that video, haven't we, Mary, of the actual incident taking place. The plane
obviously traveling very fast and the truck crossing its path. I mean, where would you be focusing your investigation?
MARY SCHIAVO, CNN TRANSPORTATION ANALYST: Well, I think and I would guess this is what the NTSB is on the commands and communications. Once an
aircraft is headed and lined up for the runway on final approach and given clearance to land that runway, that aircraft owns that runway.
And so, for a firetruck to have a clearance to cross that runway is really unthinkable. And so, obviously, I'd want to know who gave the command. Was
it ground control or was it the tower?
And by the way, were both of those positions staffed? Did they have separate ground control and separate tower controller? Did they have any
assistance in the tower? Usually, you have somebody coordinating in the tower and the communications or did they just have a late as they call it
that -- you know, the midnight shift, the call it -- that the graveyard shift. Did they just have a few people on -- working the tower?
By any chance, was there just one person in the tower. But it's hard for me to imagine that one person was giving both commands. I can't imagine one
person giving the clearance to land this aircraft and also giving a clearance to a firetruck to cross the runway.
So I'm guessing that somewhere along the line, they will find that they had ground controllers and tower controllers. But if not, this is really hard
to understand.
And I think the NTSB will be focusing on FAA staffing and training and by the way in training of the fire trucks and emergency personnel at
LaGuardia. Once you get that clearance to cross a runway, that should be enough. But was it their habit to do more than that that'll all be parts of
the investigation.
FOSTER: There was a lot of talk about why didn't the plane see the truck? Why didn't the truck see the plane but let's just play the video because
you realize why and if you could talk through it.
SCHIAVO: Right.
So, the plane can't really do anything about the truck. The truck could have seen the plane but there -- again, there are a lot of lights at
airports. They can be confusing, not if you're used to working at the airport. But when that plane touches down so people said, well, you could
have done a go-around. Well, you really can't. Once your wheels hit the ground you have to have some runway to get up enough speed to then take off
again.
So, the wheels touching down is the key point. Passengers all in the plane all confirmed that the wheels did touch they did land a bit hard they'd had
some turbulence but you don't have enough speed then to hurry up and take off, and they just didn't have enough time. And if the fire truck hadn't
crossed the runway yet when it touched down which it hadn't, if it was already crossing when the plane came in for a landing, they could have done
a go-around there would have been enough power the power that plane -- those pilots could have put on, you know, full throttle, and -- but not
once you touch down.
[15:20:01]
And there just isn't enough time.
And then once you've touched down, because your speed is dissipating by the second, you can't take off again.
Conversely, you also can't stop in time because a plane has to stop with the thrust reversers, the brakes, you have brakes on the plane, but it
can't stop the plane. So there literally was no time for the aircraft to do anything, once that firetruck headed across the runway.
FOSTER: Yeah. So, then it does come back to air control. You're saying air control and ground control is typically separated. We're waiting to hear if
that was the case today.
But is ground control operated from the same organization as the air control? How does the truck get its go ahead?
SCHIAVO: Well, that's a really good point, because it can be, but they're supposed to be a coordinator.
And obviously, they are never permitted. Ground control is never permitted to allow vehicles to cross an active runway without tower permission. So
somewhere along the line, they had to have the tower's concurrence or ground control made a horrible mistake.
But I think here tower had to approve crossing that active runway. Those are the rules. Those are the federal aviation regulations, and they're not
negotiable. That's what has to happen.
FOSTER: OK, Mary, appreciate it. We're expecting that press conference any moment. We'll come back to you afterwards to get your read on what they
tell us. We'll bring it to everyone live.
But coming up, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer calling it a deeply shocking antisemitic attack outside a London synagogue today.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: British police are investigating an arson attack on four volunteer ambulances parked outside a synagogue here in London.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer calls it a deeply shocking antisemitic attack and says it's an assault on everyone who upholds the fundamental values of
tolerance and respect.
[15:25:05]
Police say they are looking into an online claim of responsibility. No one was injured in the pre-dawn attack.
Clare Sebastian, though, visited the scene.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Even in a community already on high alert, few would have predicted this. Explosions rattling
this North London neighborhood in the early hours of Monday morning, as fire engulfed four ambulances parked outside a synagogue.
GEDALE WEINSTEIN, RESIDENT: My wife and I got disturbed by a huge explosion at 1:35 a.m., because we live literally yards away from where we
are now. And we thought, OK, what's going on here? What's happening? And then 10 minutes thereafter, a bigger explosion sounded like a bomb.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): The fire brigade says the explosions were caused by gas cylinders igniting inside the ambulances. No one was hurt. The UK's
counter-terror police are now leading the investigation, which police say is focused on three suspects.
CCTV emerged showing three masked figures setting one of the ambulances alight.
KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Well, this is a horrific anti- Semitic attack. And, of course, my thoughts, I think all of our thoughts, will be with those in the vicinity, the residents who are understandably
very concerned, the Jewish community across the country deeply concerned.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): The ambulances belonged to a Jewish volunteer rescue organization serving both Jewish and non-Jewish residents in this
area.
DEAN COHEN, COUNCILOR: This is a direct attack on the Jewish community. You cannot get more low than destroying ambulances that are there to save
lives.
SEBASTIAN: Well, this is a very visible Jewish community here in North London. There are lots of synagogues and shops and Jewish schools lining
these streets. So, while people tell us that they are shocked and in disbelief, frankly, that ambulances would be targeted, they're also saying
that they were worried something like this would happen.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Security had been stepped up around Jewish sites across the UK after a deadly attack at a Manchester synagogue last October.
DOV FORMAN, RESIDENT: Things could get a lot worse. This violent antisemitism is going to get worse. And this won't be the last attack
against the Jewish people if we continue just to kind of try to tackle the spread of the fire and not go to the roots of the anti-Semitism, the
extremism that's running rife across society today.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Last year, it was Yom Kippur. This year, preparations for Passover marred by violence.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You should be worried about saving lives, whether you're Jewish or non-Jewish.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Anger and fear here rising that another Middle East war is worsening what they say is a climate of hate.
Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Still to come, markets soar after President Donald Trump holds off on attacking Iran's energy sites.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:31:18]
FOSTER: So we are expecting any minute now an update on the deadly collision at New York's LaGuardia airport. Investigators from the National
Transportation Safety Board have just arrived at the scene there. The head of the U.S. Department of Transportation, plus, the head of the Federal
Aviation Administration, will be giving an update to reporters. They are speaking now, I'm told.
SEAN DUFFY, U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: Just as a housekeeping matter, Secretary Sean Duffy here, along with FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, Port
Authority 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 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 is -- 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.
[15:35:12]
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 seatbelt. If you see the videos of
the air crash, wear your seatbelt when you're on the airplane. Also, in a car, wear a seatbelt. 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, Bryan Bedford.
BRYAN BEDFORD, ADMINISTRATOR, U.S. FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION: 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 and 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, you know, 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, PORT AUTHORITY OF NEW YORK & NEW JERSEY: 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 4.
The vehicle carried Sergeant Orselio (ph) and Officer Baez (ph). 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 people to the hospital during the evening, though many have been released at this time.
At approximately this morning, the airport reopened for passengers and our first flight, a Delta flight, left about a minute after 2:00 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 a return to 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 Kathyrn 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: 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 am grateful for the work of dedicated first responders, including the men
and women from the NYPD, the FDNY, and NYCEM, 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 2:00 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. 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.
[15:45:01]
I just want to make a note that when these incidents happen, you see a 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 that they'll
have with, 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 bi -- it's not a partisan issue. Both Democrats and Republicans agree, but they have to have the 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 where 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.
REPORTER: What can you tell us about the air traffic controller? Number of hours, years on the job? You know, we need some of that background
information.
DUFFY: 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 that will
be for the NTSB at the appropriate time.
REPORTER: You said in the beginning that what happened here was sad and troubling. What was troubling to you.
DUFFY: Well, it's troubling that we had a an aircraft hit a fire truck, and that's troubling. Full stop.
REPORTER: Can I have a question for the director.
REPORTER: Earlier air traffic control has a file on, you know, if you can pass the runway or not. Should the truck have stopped at the intersection
at that point?
DUFFY: So, the question is, should the truck have stopped? And again, this 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 -- what went wrong. That's for Jennifer Homendy and the NTSB.
REPORTER: One of the things mentioned was the missed conditions.
REPORTER: Sir, I work with New York 1, and some sources are telling us that only one air traffic controller was in the tower last night. And I
know you said you won't be specific. However, hypothetically speaking, if that was the case with the FAA, then be responsible for --
DUFFY: So I told you, I'm not going to talk about specifics, but for that question, I'll just tell you that it's inaccurate
REPORTER: One of the --
REPORTER: Can we ask? I'm sorry.
REPORTER: I understand that wanting more air traffic controllers. I understand you're saying there's not enough funding for that. In the
meantime, while you work that out, how do you even convince people to become controllers after seeing what happened last may, after hearing that
devastating audience?
DUFFY: So, 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 now. It does take time to train up as a controller. If you come to a very busy space like N90 in New York or
LaGuardia, it's going to take you over a year to train up in a facility like this.
[15:50:01]
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 -- again, this is this was not tonight, but there's copper wires use analog, not digital. Theres 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 it's -- it's a 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.
REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE)So, it's a -- it's a great question. And again, you want me to front run the NTSB and I'm not going to front run the NTSB. We
do. 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 --
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 is -- 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.
FOSTER: Okay. Briefing there from politicians from New York state, from the city as well. Also, the transportation secretary giving some
information to us, dismissing the rumor that's been going around that there was only one controller in the tower because so much of the focus is on the
tower. And who knew not what within the tower, but they wouldn't give us any detail on that, saying that's the NTSB to ride up its report. What they
did say is that 40 people ended up in hospital, including two people from the fire truck, and confirming again that the pilots died there.
The weather was moderate, there was mist and fog. And the reason the truck was actually out and about in the airport was because a United Airlines
flight had experienced an aborted takeover. So, the fire truck had gone over to that, was obviously traveling back and hit the plane coming in
there.
But also, Mary Schiavo is joining us here because it also goes to show that the air traffic control tower was dealing with two emergencies at the same
time, it seems.
SCHIAVO: Controllers are fully staffed. Now, he didn't comment on the staffing or how long the controller had been working, et cetera., but that
-- that is a -- that is a lot to deal with. And he also didn't comment on any of the phraseology.
So, looking at the phraseology that the controller used, it wasn't standard phraseology. Theres some confusion whether there was one or two emergency
fire trucks or vehicles cleared across the runway. And also there's some confusion on the clearance to land, looking at the at the language, the air
traffic controller used. And so, there was no comment on that either.
And I do have to add that is appropriate because the NTSB rules are pretty strict about the NTSB once they take over an investigation, they do if and
any of the information releasing. And you can be actually basically fired from an NTSB investigation if you're participating agency and you don't
cooperate with their rules, they can kick you off.
So, I have to say, while its very frustrating that he really didn't give us any new information, those are the rules.
FOSTER: Yeah. And he did say that the tower was relatively well-staffed. They're a couple of controllers down and there was certainly more than one
controller in the tower at the time. And I don't think this is a particularly busy time for that particular airport, is it, on a Sunday
evening?
SCHIAVO: Well, not -- not -- usually not that late. But here, as you said, they're dealing with -- they're already dealing with an emergency. The
United flight, you know, I've listened to that phraseology too. And they said, well, you know, we want to use we want to deplane using the jetway.
But, you know, the fumes are bad back there and we can't hang on forever.
I don't know what that means. I don't know if people are keeling over or whatever. So they're already dealing with an emergency.
But again, the fire and rescue services are trained to be airport specific. And so, they, you know, they surely needed to know that they were crossing
and they asked permission to do so to cross the active runway. And so, what we really want to know is, did the same controller, we don't know this yet,
did the same controller --
FOSTER: On the ground.
SCHIAVO: -- and the clearance to land --
FOSTER: Yeah.
SCHIAVO: -- and cross.
FOSTER: Okay. Mary, thank you so much. We'll hopefully get some more detail, but that's all we have at the moment.
I'm Max Foster. That's WHAT WE KNOW.
END
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