Two air traffic controllers at LaGuardia Airport left their posts significantly early on the night of March 22, 2026, when an Air Canada Express flight 8646 collided with a Port Authority fire truck on the taxiway. The crash killed the flight’s two pilots, Captain Antoine Forest and First Officer Mackenzie Gunther, and injured dozens of the 72 passengers and four crew onboard. The fire truck was responding to a separate incident at the airport.
Controllers’ Early Departure
Only two controllers were working the tower that night at LaGuardia: one managing the runways and local air traffic, and the controller-in-charge overseeing all airport traffic
and pilot clearances. Both left their posts about an hour early, according to a source familiar with the investigation. They are currently on leave and not managing air traffic. The FAA is considering disciplinary measures including termination.
FAA Response and Official Statements
The Federal Aviation Administration has emphasized its commitment to safety and accountability following the incident. In a statement, the FAA said, “The FAA is committed to holding employees accountable, and we will not compromise the safety or efficiency of the National Airspace System.” The National Air Traffic Controllers Association is engaged in talks with FAA leadership and stated, “We believe those discussions are
the appropriate forum for addressing the matter.” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy declared, “We will not tolerate fraud, and we are taking appropriate action to hold folks accountable and prevent unlawful practices from disrupting the traveling public.”
Operational Context and Equipment
LaGuardia’s control tower staffed only two controllers on the night of the crash, with one filling dual roles due to an ongoing emergency elsewhere. This overlapped previous agency rules that prohibit combining controller positions before midnight, a regulation introduced after a 1997 LaGuardia collision. At approximately 11:35 p.m., Air Canada Express Flight 8646 was cleared to land on Runway 4. The fire truck
later received clearance to cross the taxiway but seconds before the collision, an air traffic controller urgently commanded the vehicle to stop. Aircraft surface detection equipment failed to issue any alert ahead of the impending collision.
Post-Incident Developments
LaGuardia Airport closed for over 12 hours after the collision. Eighteen minutes after the crash, an emotionally distressed controller spoke via radio with a Frontier Airlines pilot, admitting mistakes while trying to manage the emergency. The National Transportation Safety Board continues its investigation and expects to release a final report with probable cause findings in about six months, around August 27, 2026.
Key Quotes
Audio recordings
captured the controller’s urgent warning: “Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, Truck One, stop, stop, stop!” A Frontier Airlines pilot later remarked, “That wasn’t good to watch.” The controller replied, “Yeah, I know. I tried to reach out to them. We were dealing with an emergency earlier. I messed up.” The pilot responded, “Nah, man. You did the best you could.” These exchanges highlight the operational pressures during the incident.
