Air Canada pilot’s last-second move may have saved dozens of lives in LaGuardia crash

‘They are heroes’

A routine Air Canada flight landing turned into a serious incident at LaGuardia Airport, where the pilot’s final action may have reduced the impact of the crash and saved lives.

An Air Canada Express flight from Montreal had landed on Sunday night, 22 March, and was taxiing on the runway when it collided with a fire truck responding to a separate situation. There were 72 people on board.

According to Port Authority executive director Kathryn Garcia, as reported by the BBC, a total of 41 passengers and crew were taken to a nearby hospital, along with two officers from the vehicle. Of those, 32 have since been discharged, while the remaining patients are being treated for serious injuries.

Air traffic control audio from shortly before the crash has also been released. In the recording, a controller can be heard repeatedly instructing a vehicle on the runway to stop. The collision occurs moments later.

A passenger, who later shared their experience on Reddit under the username bradysego12, described the moment of impact. “We had just touched down and maybe about 30 seconds later we all felt a jolt forward, then a loud bang,” they wrote.

The passenger said the aircraft appeared to move sideways following the collision, as people quickly realised something had gone wrong.

One detail from the moments before impact has drawn particular attention.

According to the passenger account, the pilot attempted to use reverse thrust at the last second in an effort to slow the aircraft. That action may have reduced the force of the crash. “But someone did say the pilot tried to reverse thrust at the last second. Honestly, they likely saved our lives,” the passenger wrote. “I wish I could tell their families how thankful I am. They are heroes.”

It has since been confirmed that both pilots died following the collision.

Operations at the airport were suspended for several hours following the incident, as emergency services responded and passengers were assisted.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.