I feel genuinely heartbroken for the families of those pilots. The antiquated infrastructure alone is infuriating. LaGuardia has spent hundreds of millions on a makeover the last few years too. One would think critical safety systems would take priority over posh bars in the terminals, and yet here we are.
David, you've hit on something that really frustrates me too. It's maddening that we can build beautiful new terminals with all the bells and whistles, but the critical infrastructure that keeps planes from hitting each other gets put on the back burner. Those families deserved better, and frankly, so do all the crews and passengers who use that airport every day. The priorities feel completely backwards sometimes.
Thanks so much, Kat! I appreciate you taking the time to read it. These stories are never easy to write about, but I think it's important we understand what really happened so we can learn from it.
Every book I've read by pilots in the US and the UK says the same thing--we have the technology to be even safer but no one ever wants to spend the money. The story always ends up profits over amazing, safe technology in aviation. And in the end, a FORTUNE of that profit is shelled out in lawsuits. This makes no sense. And now again, two young pilots are dead. 💕✈️
I understand the frustration, it’s a tough thing to process. But aviation safety decisions aren’t usually about choosing profit over safety. Most of the time, it’s about risk assessment, certification timelines, and how systems interact in real operations.
When something like this happens, it’s rarely one simple cause, it’s usually a chain of factors. That’s exactly why investigations go deep, so lessons can be learned and improvements made.
You’re right on the structure Errata, airport operator and regulator are separate. Safety oversight comes from the FAA, while operations are shared across many actors (airline, ATC, airport, manufacturer).
When accidents happen, it’s rarely one entity, it’s usually a combination of factors across that whole system. The goal of the investigation is exactly that: identify where the chain broke so it doesn’t happen again.
Nick, you're the best. You've quickly become my go to Substack contributor. This reminds me of a personal manic moment on a landing in Jacksonville Florida 2001. Bad storm, lightning, heavy winds, heavy rain. The plane was constantly rotating on its axis. The pilot was constantly fighting to keep it level. I was not a nervous flyer but this one terrified me. The pilot jerked the plane level just before touchdown and literally dropped it on the runway, HARD, BUT LEVEL. As I exited the jetway into the concourse I heard the the speakers call out that the airport was closed. I mention this because I'm sure you've dealt with a similar situation. Perhaps you might relate one in a future post? To this day I still think about that day. Thanks for all you do!!
RJ, thank you so much for those kind words, they truly mean a lot! 🙏🏻 That Jacksonville landing sounds absolutely harrowing, and I can completely understand why it's stuck with you all these years. Your pilot made exactly the right call, getting it down firm and level in those conditions was textbook crosswind technique, even if it didn't feel great from the back. The fact that they closed the airport right after shows just how close to the edge that approach really was. I'll definitely consider sharing some of my own "interesting" weather stories, we've all got a few that keep us humble!
A CRJ900 has category D approach speeds (very fast) compared to as an example … an A380 category C (slower). Landing on shorter wet runways takes considerable concentration. As Nick has pointed out there is very little time to assess and correct your trajectory.
Mike, you've hit on something really important here that a lot of people don't realize. It's counterintuitive that a smaller regional jet would have faster approach speeds than a massive A380, but you're absolutely right. The CRJ's wing loading and design characteristics mean you're coming in hot, and on a short, wet runway like LaGuardia's 4, that margin for error gets razor-thin fast. Thanks for adding that technical perspective, it really drives home how challenging that approach environment was.
Hey MaryV! Great question, the truck driver survived the collision but was seriously injured. From what I recall of the reports, he was hospitalized but recovered. The focus understandably shifted to the aviation system failures that allowed the runway incursion to happen in the first place, since that's where the real preventable tragedy occurred.
Reminds me of the story of the two Marines in Iraq, manning a checkpoint. Behind them, many more Marines. A suicide bomber in a truck suddenly appears and barrels towards them. Four seconds on the surveillance video and the two men stand their ground and open fire on the truck to no avail. Each of them were awarded the Navy Cross, posthumously of course. All four heroes. Those pilots deserve to be so honored.
Paul, that's a powerful and fitting comparison. Those Marines and these pilots both faced impossible situations where their training and courage meant everything even when the outcome was already determined. The LaGuardia crew stayed at their posts trying to save everyone else right until the end. Heroes indeed, and you're absolutely right that they deserve that recognition.
Thank you for this Nick, super informative read and altogether heartbreaking. I just can't believe thay the fire truck driver couldnt see such a large plane or hear it so close even in fog at night? Do they block out sound, is that why to protect hearing? Sorry if that is a stupid question. I am genuinely fascinated by all that goes on un an airport and horrified when it goes wrong. Did the pilot maneuver the collision knowing that they'd die ro save the rest? How did they know?
P.M., not a stupid question at all! Fire trucks are incredibly loud inside - diesel engines, pumps, sirens - so yes, hearing protection is common and they might not hear an aircraft over all that noise. Plus in thick fog, visibility can be literally zero even with headlights.
As for the pilots, they had maybe seconds to react. While we can't know their exact thoughts, their training would have kicked in to try to minimize casualties but at those speeds and that close to impact, there sadly wasn't much they could do. It's absolutely heartbreaking, and you're right to be horrified. These accidents shake all of us in aviation to our core.
Thank you for reading and asking thoughtful questions - it means a lot.
But what about the driver of the fire truck, wouldnt the size of the aircraft at least be somewhat of an alert even in their blindspot, Nick? Or is it just panic that you forget where the pedal is sort of situation? I watched the horrifying video. The pilots couldn't do much, but I am super confused by the fire truck, even just a light coming as the plane didnt appear out of nowhere, but maybe it is truly invisible in the fog? Thank you for writing about this, Paulina
Paulina, that’s a very fair question and honestly one that many professionals in aviation ask themselves after events like this.
In conditions like dense fog, visibility can drop to just a few meters. Even something as large as an aircraft can effectively “appear” only at the last second. Add to that the way fog scatters light—headlights and landing lights don’t always help as much as we’d expect, and sometimes they actually make depth perception worse.
From the fire truck’s perspective, there are a few compounding factors. The vehicle itself is large, with blind spots, and the crew is focused on their task. Inside, it’s extremely noisy—engines, pumps, radios—often with hearing protection on. So they’re relying heavily on procedures, instructions, and what they can see… which in this case may have been almost nothing.
It’s also important to remember that airport ground operations in low visibility depend a lot on coordination—clearances, routing, and situational awareness shared between multiple actors. When something breaks down in that chain, even briefly, the margin for error disappears very quickly.
So no, it’s not panic or negligence, it’s usually a combination of very challenging conditions and a few small factors aligning in the worst possible way.
Your instinct is right though, it feels like something that should be obvious, and that’s exactly why these events are so deeply unsettling for all of us in aviation.
Your detailed comments today helps us to understand what the pilots in the Air Canada plane were experiencing while landing, and likely upon impact. A rainy night with a myriad of lights - something many road vehicle drivers experience while driving in the city along with overly bright LED headlights. I still feel much safer flying.
Thanks Lesley! You've hit on something really important, that disorienting visual chaos isn't unique to aviation. Those LED headlights on rainy nights can be just as confusing for drivers, and yet we adapt and navigate through it. Your instinct about feeling safer flying is absolutely right, we've learned from accidents like this one and built multiple layers of protection that simply don't exist on the roads.
RE: "Close-up of the severe structural damage to the Air Canada aircraft’s nose after the runway collision at LaGuardia" pic. I could have gone a lifetime w/o seeing it. I hope to hell the families never see this, though I suspect it's too late.
I completely understand that reaction DWL… some images stay with you.
What’s always striking in events like this is how something that looks so violent can still be survivable because of how aircraft are designed and how crews are trained. It never takes away from the shock, but there’s a lot behind the scenes working to protect people.
My thoughts are with everyone involved—these moments hit hard for families and crews alike.
And thank you for your support here, it truly means a lot 🙏
David, it really is heartbreaking when you dig into the details. Two experienced pilots lost because of something so preventable. The human cost of bureaucratic inaction hits hard every time.
After something like this, patience is a virtue and blame-throwing a sin. In the first day or two, everybody was blaming the truck driver. The tower told them to stop, stop, stop. Now we find out there may have been cross talk on the same frequency. Maybe the driver isn't quite so culpable after all. But know this - the truck wasn't out there for an evening joy ride. They were doing a necessary task as well. Like you said, it was the orchestration that went wrong, and relatively inexpensive upgrades might have made the difference. Humans make mistakes, automated systems sometimes don't work. But they rarely fail at the same time. The lack of transponders crippled the automated system, cancelling the redundancy, relying on the hope that a human never makes a mistake. And, like you said, it is fixable. I bet LGA trucks will have transponders pretty damn soon.
Do we have an estimate of the forward speed of the plane at impact?
My hat is off to the brave flight professionals who did everything they could to minimize the consequences.
I feel genuinely heartbroken for the families of those pilots. The antiquated infrastructure alone is infuriating. LaGuardia has spent hundreds of millions on a makeover the last few years too. One would think critical safety systems would take priority over posh bars in the terminals, and yet here we are.
David, you've hit on something that really frustrates me too. It's maddening that we can build beautiful new terminals with all the bells and whistles, but the critical infrastructure that keeps planes from hitting each other gets put on the back burner. Those families deserved better, and frankly, so do all the crews and passengers who use that airport every day. The priorities feel completely backwards sometimes.
Thank you Nick for this informative, sobering read.
Thanks so much, Kat! I appreciate you taking the time to read it. These stories are never easy to write about, but I think it's important we understand what really happened so we can learn from it.
Every book I've read by pilots in the US and the UK says the same thing--we have the technology to be even safer but no one ever wants to spend the money. The story always ends up profits over amazing, safe technology in aviation. And in the end, a FORTUNE of that profit is shelled out in lawsuits. This makes no sense. And now again, two young pilots are dead. 💕✈️
I understand the frustration, it’s a tough thing to process. But aviation safety decisions aren’t usually about choosing profit over safety. Most of the time, it’s about risk assessment, certification timelines, and how systems interact in real operations.
When something like this happens, it’s rarely one simple cause, it’s usually a chain of factors. That’s exactly why investigations go deep, so lessons can be learned and improvements made.
La Guardia is owned/operated by Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. FAA is an agency of the federal government. We can do better.
You’re right on the structure Errata, airport operator and regulator are separate. Safety oversight comes from the FAA, while operations are shared across many actors (airline, ATC, airport, manufacturer).
When accidents happen, it’s rarely one entity, it’s usually a combination of factors across that whole system. The goal of the investigation is exactly that: identify where the chain broke so it doesn’t happen again.
Nick, you're the best. You've quickly become my go to Substack contributor. This reminds me of a personal manic moment on a landing in Jacksonville Florida 2001. Bad storm, lightning, heavy winds, heavy rain. The plane was constantly rotating on its axis. The pilot was constantly fighting to keep it level. I was not a nervous flyer but this one terrified me. The pilot jerked the plane level just before touchdown and literally dropped it on the runway, HARD, BUT LEVEL. As I exited the jetway into the concourse I heard the the speakers call out that the airport was closed. I mention this because I'm sure you've dealt with a similar situation. Perhaps you might relate one in a future post? To this day I still think about that day. Thanks for all you do!!
RJ, thank you so much for those kind words, they truly mean a lot! 🙏🏻 That Jacksonville landing sounds absolutely harrowing, and I can completely understand why it's stuck with you all these years. Your pilot made exactly the right call, getting it down firm and level in those conditions was textbook crosswind technique, even if it didn't feel great from the back. The fact that they closed the airport right after shows just how close to the edge that approach really was. I'll definitely consider sharing some of my own "interesting" weather stories, we've all got a few that keep us humble!
A CRJ900 has category D approach speeds (very fast) compared to as an example … an A380 category C (slower). Landing on shorter wet runways takes considerable concentration. As Nick has pointed out there is very little time to assess and correct your trajectory.
Mike, you've hit on something really important here that a lot of people don't realize. It's counterintuitive that a smaller regional jet would have faster approach speeds than a massive A380, but you're absolutely right. The CRJ's wing loading and design characteristics mean you're coming in hot, and on a short, wet runway like LaGuardia's 4, that margin for error gets razor-thin fast. Thanks for adding that technical perspective, it really drives home how challenging that approach environment was.
How were the drivers of the fire truck spared?
Good question but there’s no confirmed public info yet on that.
We’ll have to wait for the official investigation to clarify positions and timing.
What happened to the truck driver? Who and where is he?
Hey MaryV! Great question, the truck driver survived the collision but was seriously injured. From what I recall of the reports, he was hospitalized but recovered. The focus understandably shifted to the aviation system failures that allowed the runway incursion to happen in the first place, since that's where the real preventable tragedy occurred.
Reminds me of the story of the two Marines in Iraq, manning a checkpoint. Behind them, many more Marines. A suicide bomber in a truck suddenly appears and barrels towards them. Four seconds on the surveillance video and the two men stand their ground and open fire on the truck to no avail. Each of them were awarded the Navy Cross, posthumously of course. All four heroes. Those pilots deserve to be so honored.
Paul, that's a powerful and fitting comparison. Those Marines and these pilots both faced impossible situations where their training and courage meant everything even when the outcome was already determined. The LaGuardia crew stayed at their posts trying to save everyone else right until the end. Heroes indeed, and you're absolutely right that they deserve that recognition.
Thank you for this Nick, super informative read and altogether heartbreaking. I just can't believe thay the fire truck driver couldnt see such a large plane or hear it so close even in fog at night? Do they block out sound, is that why to protect hearing? Sorry if that is a stupid question. I am genuinely fascinated by all that goes on un an airport and horrified when it goes wrong. Did the pilot maneuver the collision knowing that they'd die ro save the rest? How did they know?
P.M., not a stupid question at all! Fire trucks are incredibly loud inside - diesel engines, pumps, sirens - so yes, hearing protection is common and they might not hear an aircraft over all that noise. Plus in thick fog, visibility can be literally zero even with headlights.
As for the pilots, they had maybe seconds to react. While we can't know their exact thoughts, their training would have kicked in to try to minimize casualties but at those speeds and that close to impact, there sadly wasn't much they could do. It's absolutely heartbreaking, and you're right to be horrified. These accidents shake all of us in aviation to our core.
Thank you for reading and asking thoughtful questions - it means a lot.
But what about the driver of the fire truck, wouldnt the size of the aircraft at least be somewhat of an alert even in their blindspot, Nick? Or is it just panic that you forget where the pedal is sort of situation? I watched the horrifying video. The pilots couldn't do much, but I am super confused by the fire truck, even just a light coming as the plane didnt appear out of nowhere, but maybe it is truly invisible in the fog? Thank you for writing about this, Paulina
Paulina, that’s a very fair question and honestly one that many professionals in aviation ask themselves after events like this.
In conditions like dense fog, visibility can drop to just a few meters. Even something as large as an aircraft can effectively “appear” only at the last second. Add to that the way fog scatters light—headlights and landing lights don’t always help as much as we’d expect, and sometimes they actually make depth perception worse.
From the fire truck’s perspective, there are a few compounding factors. The vehicle itself is large, with blind spots, and the crew is focused on their task. Inside, it’s extremely noisy—engines, pumps, radios—often with hearing protection on. So they’re relying heavily on procedures, instructions, and what they can see… which in this case may have been almost nothing.
It’s also important to remember that airport ground operations in low visibility depend a lot on coordination—clearances, routing, and situational awareness shared between multiple actors. When something breaks down in that chain, even briefly, the margin for error disappears very quickly.
So no, it’s not panic or negligence, it’s usually a combination of very challenging conditions and a few small factors aligning in the worst possible way.
Your instinct is right though, it feels like something that should be obvious, and that’s exactly why these events are so deeply unsettling for all of us in aviation.
Really appreciate your thoughtful questions
Thank you, Nick, for your very insightful reply, I have a new perspective of what happens now on the inside.
P.M. you are welcome🙏🏻
Your detailed comments today helps us to understand what the pilots in the Air Canada plane were experiencing while landing, and likely upon impact. A rainy night with a myriad of lights - something many road vehicle drivers experience while driving in the city along with overly bright LED headlights. I still feel much safer flying.
Thanks Lesley! You've hit on something really important, that disorienting visual chaos isn't unique to aviation. Those LED headlights on rainy nights can be just as confusing for drivers, and yet we adapt and navigate through it. Your instinct about feeling safer flying is absolutely right, we've learned from accidents like this one and built multiple layers of protection that simply don't exist on the roads.
Thanks so much for your insights.
RE: "Close-up of the severe structural damage to the Air Canada aircraft’s nose after the runway collision at LaGuardia" pic. I could have gone a lifetime w/o seeing it. I hope to hell the families never see this, though I suspect it's too late.
I completely understand that reaction DWL… some images stay with you.
What’s always striking in events like this is how something that looks so violent can still be survivable because of how aircraft are designed and how crews are trained. It never takes away from the shock, but there’s a lot behind the scenes working to protect people.
My thoughts are with everyone involved—these moments hit hard for families and crews alike.
And thank you for your support here, it truly means a lot 🙏
Unfathomable incompetence 😕
David, it really is heartbreaking when you dig into the details. Two experienced pilots lost because of something so preventable. The human cost of bureaucratic inaction hits hard every time.
After something like this, patience is a virtue and blame-throwing a sin. In the first day or two, everybody was blaming the truck driver. The tower told them to stop, stop, stop. Now we find out there may have been cross talk on the same frequency. Maybe the driver isn't quite so culpable after all. But know this - the truck wasn't out there for an evening joy ride. They were doing a necessary task as well. Like you said, it was the orchestration that went wrong, and relatively inexpensive upgrades might have made the difference. Humans make mistakes, automated systems sometimes don't work. But they rarely fail at the same time. The lack of transponders crippled the automated system, cancelling the redundancy, relying on the hope that a human never makes a mistake. And, like you said, it is fixable. I bet LGA trucks will have transponders pretty damn soon.
Do we have an estimate of the forward speed of the plane at impact?
My hat is off to the brave flight professionals who did everything they could to minimize the consequences.
Thanks for breaking this down Nick. It's absolutely tragic but it's the kind of thing more people should learn about