Pilots have reported safety concerns LaGuardia Airport Months before the Air Canada crash Kill two pilots Another 41 people are hospitalized. Aviation officials have received reports of concerns warning of potential risks at the busy airport.
ignored warning
According to CNNMonths before the fatal crash, at least one pilot filed a formal report citing serious safety issues at LaGuardia. The concerns were submitted through the Aviation Safety Reporting System.
In the report, the pilot raised two main issues. First, they claim air traffic controllers did not provide clear guidance on the distance between aircraft in the area. Second, they warned that the runway lighting system, which they said had previously helped prevent dangerous encounters between aircraft on the ground, had been switched off.
“The pace of operations at LGA (LaGuardia Airport) is picking up. Controllers are pushing lines,” the pilot said. “During thunderstorms, LGA starts to feel like DCA did before the accident,” referring to a January 2025 mid-air collision over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. that killed more than 60 people.
The pilot concluded his report with a direct plea to the officer: “Please do something.”
A critical moment before landing
The pilots also described a dangerous situation in which their plane was just 300 feet above the ground as it approached Runway 22 when another plane was cleared to take off.
“The voice accepting takeoff clearance, most likely the co-pilot, did not seem concerned, but the departing aircraft appeared to hesitate for a few seconds,” the pilot said in a transcript recorded in the Aviation Safety Reporting System file. Post.
“I believe this is because the captain of the flight was most likely the pilot who was flying and was able to see how close we were to landing. I think he or she thought twice before initiating the takeoff roll.”
The pilot elected to continue landing rather than perform a go-around due to smoke from the Canadian wildfires and the possible presence of a helicopter nearby.
“I think it is safer to continue the approach and land about 10 seconds after the departing aircraft crosses our path, rather than suddenly turning around and believing that the helicopter is not near the end of the takeoff on the 22nd,” the pilot said.
What happened on Sunday night?
According to Reuters, Air Canada Express flight 8646, operated by Jazz Aviation, took off from Montreal on Sunday evening with 72 passengers and four crew members on board and landed at LaGuardia Airport.
Meanwhile, a fire engine responding to another incident was allowed to cross the runway. The plane has also been cleared to land.
After the collision. According to Reuters, more than 40 people have been injured. Pilot Antoine Forest and co-pilot Mackenzie Gunther died in the accident.
Who is Antoine Forest?
The Toronto Star first reported Antoine Forest Monday after the crash Sunday night. Forest, who is from Mount Lac, Que., served as a first officer for Jazz Air. His Facebook profile indicating that he has been in this role for over three years. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford described the two pilots as “young people just starting out in their careers.”
