Eyewitnesses have described the moment Air Canada flight AC8646 crashed into a fire truck on the runway of New York's LaGuardia airport, killing two pilots and injuring dozens of others.
We were literally like 100 metres away, says 23-year-old Leo Medina, who was onboard another plane on the tarmac when the crash happened. It was like the plane got cut in half.
He told the BBC he then had to return to the gate and had been waiting in the airport for over 12 hours, sleeping on the floor on a bed of jackets.
After visiting the crash site, US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy emphasized the importance of wearing seat belts in any mode of transportation, stating, As you see from last night, they do save lives.
Québec native Antoine Forest, 30, was identified as one of the pilots who died in the collision according to reports. The other pilot's name has not yet been disclosed.
FAA administrator Bran Bedford described the loss as an absolute tragedy, highlighting that these were young men at the beginning of their careers.
The incident, which occurred around 23:40 local time on Sunday, resulted in 41 individuals being hospitalized, some with serious injuries.
Passenger Rebecca Liquori, present during the crash, shared her experience, recalling a loud boom after landing: As we were descending, we hit a lot of turbulence... Everyone felt it.
Audio from the air traffic control tower revealed frantic efforts to avert the accident, with commands for the fire truck to stop just seconds before the impact.
The truck had previously been dispatched to another plane for a reported issue.
The crash adds to concerns regarding safety at one of the busiest airports in the United States, which was closed for several hours following the incident. Airports nationwide have recently been facing issues that could affect emergency response capabilities due to staffing shortages and other operational challenges.
Mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, expressed gratitude to first responders and pledged continued support for those affected by the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board is conducting an investigation into the incident to prevent future tragedies.
