Pilots raised concerns about LaGuardia's safety before runway crash killed 2: 'Please do something'
Pilots pleaded to officials several times to 'please do something' about safety concerns at LaGuardia Airport before a deadly crash left two dead, according to a new report.
A review of government records by CNN revealed that NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System received dozens of pilot complaints about safety concerns at New York City's airport.
The report comes shortly after the disaster occurred on Sunday night when Air Canada Express Flight 646 from Montreal collided with a fire truck on the runway, which was cleared to cross by an air traffic controller, leading to the death of pilots MacKenzie Gunther and Antoine Forest.
During the two years before the deadly crash, numerous reports flagged close calls at LaGuardia and warned of its dangerous pace, according to the outlet.
Last summer, a pilot wrote 'Please do something' in a report regarding a narrowly avoided incident after air traffic controllers failed to disclose that other aircraft were nearby.
An additional report compared the pace of operations at New York City's airport during severe weather conditions with that at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
'On thunderstorm days, LGA is starting to feel like DCA did before the accident there,' noted a pilot.
The airport in Washington DC, witnessed the worst air traffic disaster in recent US history when an American Airlines plane crashed into an Army Black Hawk helicopter in January of 2025, which caused the deaths of all 67 people.
According to a report by CNN, pilots pleaded to officials several times about safety concerns at LaGuardia Airport before a deadly crash left two dead
The collision occurred on Sunday night when Air Canada Express Flight 646 from Montreal collided with a fire truck on the runway, leading to the death of pilots MacKenzie Gunther and Antoine Forest
In October, a person was sent to the hospital after two Delta Airlines planes collided while taxiing at LaGuardia.
Similar reports, just months apart, describe how air traffic controllers issued inaccurate instructions that led to near-collisions.
According to the outlet, other complaints weren't as dire or were not specific about the issues, but noted how there were other dangerous incidents at LaGuardia.
The reporting system reviewed by CNN is voluntary and allows employees to raise safety concerns anonymously.
However, while the reports are reviewed by a team of safety analysts who are responsible for informing the Federal Aviation Administration of safety issues, specific details of the reports have not been verified by federal aviation officials, according to the outlet.
Sean Duffy, the Secretary of Transportation, quashed a rumor on Monday at a press conference that only one person was working in the LaGuardia control tower during the time of the tragedy.
A terrified passenger shared shocking images of the damage to the aircraft
Duffy said LaGuardia is 'well-staffed' but faces a shortage of controllers. He said there are 33 certified controllers, but the goal is to have 37.
Duffy added that further information was pending an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
'I can´t give specifics on what went wrong,' Duffy said, deferring to the NTSB, which will be holding a separate news conference later on Monday.
A flight attendant who was hurled 330 feet from the aircraft on Sunday night and survived has also been named as authorities investigate how the plane with 72 passengers on board smashed into a fire truck on the runway at 130mph.
Images from the scene showed the aircraft crumpled on the tarmac after the Montreal flight collided with the airport vehicle at 11.40pm on Sunday.
Air traffic control audio revealed the truck had been cleared to cross the runway for an unrelated issue before controllers urgently ordered it to 'stop, stop, stop' moments before impact.
Flight attendant Solange Tremblay survived the impact despite being thrown from the plane. Her daughter, Sarah Lépine, told TVA Nouvelles that Tremblay suffered a broken leg requiring surgery, but no other serious injuries.
'It's nothing short of a miracle,' Lépine said, noting her mother had been strapped into her jump seat during the crash.
LaGuardia was shut down until after the crash, forcing thousands of passengers to scramble, while airports across the country are facing severe delays due to the Department of Homeland Security shutdown.
FAA statistics show there were 1,636 runway incursions last year.
