A catastrophic collision between an Air Canada Express jet and a fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport has left two pilots dead and multiple passengers injured, while a flight attendant’s survival against all odds has become the focal point of the tragedy.

The aircraft, a CRJ-900 operating from Montreal with 72 passengers and four crew members onboard, struck the emergency vehicle on the runway shortly before midnight on Sunday.

The fire truck had reportedly entered the runway to inspect another aircraft that had aborted takeoff due to a suspected issue.

Amid the chaos, lead flight attendant Solange Tremblay was thrown nearly 330 feet from the aircraft, all while still strapped into her jump seat. She survived with multiple fractures in one leg and is expected to undergo surgery.

Her daughter described the survival as “a total miracle,” adding that Tremblay was conscious when first responders found her. “She was still strapped to her seat… I’m still trying to understand how all this happened,” she said.

Fatal error? ATC audio raises questions after deadly collision

The crash claimed the lives of both pilots, identified as Antoine Forest and MacKenzie Gunther, and has raised serious concerns about runway safety protocols.

Surveillance footage shows the moment the aircraft slammed into the fire truck, with both vehicles skidding across the tarmac. Air traffic control (ATC) audio reveals a series of warnings issued moments before impact. A controller can be heard urgently instructing the truck to stop as the aircraft approached.

In a chilling admission captured later, the same controller reportedly said, “We were dealing with an emergency earlier. I messed up.”

Passengers onboard described scenes of panic as the aircraft jolted violently during descent before the collision. “People hit their heads. People were bleeding,” said one passenger, who added that survivors evacuated by sliding down the wing.

Also read: How did the LaGuardia crash happen? Inside fatal runway collision 

Investigation underway

Authorities in the United States and Canada have launched a full-scale investigation into the incident, focusing on runway coordination, ATC communication, and emergency response procedures.

Early indications suggest a critical lapse in runway clearance timing may have contributed to the crash, though officials have not confirmed a definitive cause.

The incident has once again spotlighted aviation safety at busy international airports, with experts calling for stricter coordination between ground vehicles and incoming aircraft.