NEWSChilling Air Traffic Control Audio Before Deadly Crash Between Passenger Jet and Fire Truck Revealed: 'Stop!'
The incident sent 41 people to the hospital.
March 23 2026, Published 3:44 p.m. ET
Audio of the air traffic controllers on duty during the deadly collision that took place LaGuardia Airport in New York City on Sunday, March 22, has been released.
NBC News reported on Monday morning that an Air Canada flight carrying 72 passengers and four crew members struck a Port Authority fire truck on the runway, killing two pilots and sending 41 to the hospital.
In the audio from air traffic control, one person can be heard granting the truck's request to cross the runway before frantically instructing it to stop.
Air traffic control audio from the LaGuardia plane crash was released.
'I Messed Up'
A passenger jet collided with a truck on Sunday, March 22.
"Stop, stop, stop, stop, truck 1, stop, stop, stop!" the controller exclaimed, per the recording.
In another snippet following the crash, one air traffic controller was heard telling a colleague, "I got the word that we’re gonna be closed for a little while," with the other responding, "That wasn't good to watch."
The first air traffic controller then said, "Yeah, I know. I was there. I was trying to reach out to ‘em to stop. We were dealing with an emergency earlier. I messed up."
His colleague then told him, "Nah, man, you did the best you could."
Colleagues were later heard discussing the incident.
'That Aircraft Owned the Runway'
An expert explained that the truck shouldn't have been on the runway.
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Mary Schiavo, the former U.S. Department of Transportation inspector general, told CBC News on Monday morning that the truck shouldn't have been given clearance to be on the runway because the plane was given the go-ahead to land.
"We hear clearly the communication that put the fire truck on a runway, when by federal aviation regulation, that aircraft owned the runway," Schiavo said.
"But what we don't hear were the ground controllers coordinating with the tower," she continued. "And of course there was no way, apparently, that the aircraft could have heard that they just cleared a fire truck across the runway they're coming in to land on."
'We Don't Hear Any Coordination Among Them'
Air Canada's president released a statement following the crash.
"We seem to have three people that needed to know what's going on, or actually four different entities, and we don't hear any coordination among them," Schiavo concluded.
According to an NBC News report, the truck in question "was responding to unrelated reports of an odor on a United flight when it was struck at 11:40 p.m."
"Today is a very somber day at Air Canada," President and CEO Michael Rousseau said in a video statement on Monday. "First and most importantly, I want to express our deepest sorrow for everyone affected."
The governor of New York also expressed her condolences.
Meanwhile, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a news conference: "My heart goes out to the families of the two pilots, Canadian pilots. Certainly a very tragic outcome."
NBC News reported that 32 of the 41 hospitalized have since been released, and LaGuardia Airport reopened a lone runway at 2 p.m. ET, informing travelers to "expect delays and cancelations."
