US officials downplay controller 'distraction' in New York crashThe deadly collision crushed the cockpit of the Bombardier aircraftNEW YORK - US officials on Tuesday played down speculation that distracted air traffic controllers might have contributed to a deadly collision between an Air Canada jet and a fire truck at New York's LaGuardia Airport. Two pilots were killed in the runway crash late Sunday, which crushed the cockpit of the Bombardier plane and heavily damaged the emergency vehicle. Media reports said investigators were probing whether airport traffic controllers were distracted by a separate odor issue on a United Airlines flight -- the emergency to which the fire truck was responding. "I would caution pointing fingers at controllers and saying distraction was involved," Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, told reporters. Two air traffic controllers were working in LaGuardia's tower at the time, Homendy said.

Source: Bangkok Post March 25, 2026 09:37 UTC