Timeline of the LaGuardia Airport Crash: How Overlapping Clearances Led to Tragedy
A fatal collision at New York's LaGuardia Airport on Sunday night unfolded over a matter of minutes, resulting in the deaths of two Air Canada pilots. The incident involved an Air Canada Express jet from Montreal striking a Port Authority fire truck on the runway, following overlapping clearances and a failed stop order.
The Sequence of Events
Here is how the crash unfolded minute-by-minute, based on official reports and communications:
Sunday, March 21
- 10:12 p.m. — Air Canada Express Flight 8646 departs Montreal's Trudeau International Airport more than two hours late. The CRJ900 aircraft, operated by Jazz Aviation, carries 72 passengers and four crew members, with a typical flight time of about 90 minutes.
- 11:18 p.m. — At LaGuardia, United Airlines Flight 2384 rejects a takeoff attempt on Runway 13, marking its second rejected takeoff of the night.
- 11:21 p.m. — United 2384 contacts the tower to report an unusual odour, requesting to return to a gate.
- 11:32 p.m. — United 2384 declares an emergency, stating that flight attendants are feeling ill and it needs to return to any gate. A Port Authority rescue and firefighting vehicle is dispatched to assist the aircraft.
- 11:35 p.m. — AC8646 is cleared to land on Runway 4.
- 11:37 p.m. — An air traffic controller clears a fire truck to cross Runway 4 at Taxiway Delta, 19 seconds before impact. The taxiway is about 800 metres down the 2.1-kilometre runway.
- 11:37 p.m. — Nine seconds before impact, the air traffic controller frantically tells the fire truck to stop.
- 11:37 p.m. — The Air Canada aircraft lands and collides with the fire truck on the runway.
- 11:38 p.m. — The control tower instructs the next aircraft lined up to land, Delta Air Lines Flight 2603, to go around as emergency crews rush to the scene.
- 11:55 p.m. — Radio communications confirm the airport will be closed indefinitely. In one exchange, a controller appears to acknowledge the earlier emergency: "We had to deal with an emergency that had occurred earlier. I messed up."
Monday, March 22
- 3 a.m. — LaGuardia Airport confirms it remains closed following the crash.
- 3:10 a.m. — The first National Transportation Safety Board investigators arrive on site to begin their inquiry.
- 5 a.m. — Port Authority Chief Executive Kathryn Garcia confirms that both Air Canada pilots have been killed.
- 2 p.m. — LaGuardia reopens Runway 13/31 to takeoffs and landings.
- 6:30 p.m. — The NTSB holds a briefing, confirming the flight recorders had been recovered.
Investigation and Aftermath
Officials are still working to determine how a rescue vehicle came to be in the path of a landing aircraft at one of the country's busiest airports. The incident highlights critical issues in aviation safety, including communication protocols and runway management during emergencies.
The crash has prompted a thorough investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, with flight recorders recovered to analyze the events leading up to the collision. The overlapping clearances and the failed stop order are central to understanding the tragedy, as authorities seek to prevent similar incidents in the future.
This report is based on information from official sources and contributions from The Canadian Press.
