Controller appears to say 'I messed up' after deadly runway crash

In short:

The pilot and copilot of an Air Canada jet have died after the plane collided with a fire truck while landing at New York's LaGuardia Airport.

An air traffic controller appears to say he "messed up" in an audio recording of a conversation between him and a pilot on the runway.

About 40 passengers and crew have been taken to hospital and a flight attendant was discovered alive outside of the plane, still strapped into her seat.

Audio recordings from the LaGuardia air traffic control tower reveal a controller appearing to admit he "messed up" just moments after the crash of an Air Canada Express regional jet that killed a pilot and co-pilot.

The plane collided with a fire truck while landing at New York's LaGuardia Airport.

Antoine Forest was the Air Canada pilot killed in the crash, according to CNN.

Flight attendant Solange Tremblay was found alive outside of the plane, still strapped into her seat.

CNN reported Ms Tremblay's daughter had confirmed her identity and said her mother suffered multiple fractures and required surgery for a broken leg.

About 40 passengers and crew members were also taken to area hospitals, some with serious injuries, the authority said.

Most have been released.

The regional Air Canada jet collided with a vehicle at LaGuardia Airport in New York. (Reuters: Adam Gray)

The crash occurred around 11:45 pm on Sunday when an Air Canada regional jet arriving from Montreal struck an airport fire truck travelling across the runway to respond to an incident involving a concerning odour on another plane.

Audio recordings from the airport control tower indicate the truck was initially cleared to cross the runway before a controller tried to pull it back to avoid a collision.

The unnamed controller repeatedly told the vehicle to stop and diverted incoming aircraft from landing.

CNN reported that an air traffic controller said "I messed up" based on audio recordings of an exchange between the controller and a Frontier Airlines Pilot waiting to return to the gate.

"That wasn't good to watch," CNN reports the pilot said.

"Yeah, I know. I tried to reach out to them," the controller said.

"We were dealing with an emergency earlier. I messed up."

The pilot responded, "Nah, man, you did the best you could."

The New York Times reported the Federal Aviation Administration would investigate whether a problem with a United Airlines flight distracted an air traffic controller in the LaGuardia Airport tower at a critical juncture.

The jet was operated by Jazz Aviation, Air Canada's regional partner. (Reuters: Adam Gray)

Photos and videos from the crash's aftermath show the jet's nose crushed and tilted upward, with debris hanging from the mangled cockpit. Stairways used to evacuate passengers were pushed up to the emergency exits, and the damaged emergency vehicle lay nearby on its side.

The pilot and copilot were the only confirmed fatalities. Their names have not been released, but both were based in Canada, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport.

Two Port Authority employees travelling in the fire truck also suffered injuries, but they were not believed to be life-threatening.

The Jazz Aviation flight, which was operating on behalf of Air Canada, had about 70 passengers and four crew members on board as it landed from Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.

Air Canada and the FAA did not immediately respond to requests for comment. (Reuters: Adam Gray)

Jazz said the aircraft was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members, based on a preliminary passenger list that remained subject to confirmation.

LaGuardia was shut down following Sunday's crash, and all air traffic was diverted as the National Transportation Safety Board investigated.

It has since reopened.

The regional Air Canada jet collided with a vehicle at LaGuardia Airport in New York. (AP: Ryan Murphy)

LaGuardia is a major transit hub — the 19th busiest out of more than 500 airports in the country in 2024, according to the FAA.

The airport opened to commercial traffic in 1939 and is located in the New York City borough of Queens, some 14km from Manhattan.

The FAA said the runway will be closed until Friday.

AP / Reuters