NTSB Says Runway Safety System Did Not Activate Before Fatal Air Canada Express Collision

NTSB Says Runway Safety System Did Not Activate Before Fatal Air Canada Express Collision
The wreckage of an Air Canada Express jet that collided with a ground vehicle at New York's LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York on March 24, 2026. Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
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WASHINGTON, April 23—The National Transportation Safety Board said ‌Thursday a key runway safety system failed to activate before a March 22 fatal collision between an ‌Air Canada Express jet and a fire truck ⁠that killed two pilots.

The NTSB also said in its preliminary report that red runway entrance lights that indicate when it is not safe to ​cross a runway were on until about three seconds before the time of the collision. ⁠The NTSB said the system is designed to turn the lights off about 2 to 3 seconds before the airplane reaches each intersection.