Two air traffic controllers at New York’s LaGuardia Airport left their posts an hour before an Air Canada jet collided with a vehicle on the tarmac, killing a child and injuring four others, an AP source said.
The controllers were responsible for the airport’s main runway, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the ongoing investigation.
Air Canada Flight 797, an Airbus A320, was taxiing to the runway Monday when it collided with a Port Authority of New York and New Jersey aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle. The plane’s left wing sliced into the vehicle, killing a 5-year-old boy who was in the passenger seat.
The boy’s parents and two other children, ages 10 and 13, were injured, as was the driver of the vehicle, authorities said.
All five were taken to area hospitals. The boy’s family was traveling to the Buffalo, New York, area. The driver of the vehicle was hospitalized in serious condition.
LaGuardia Airport is one of the busiest in the country, and the FAA has been working to improve safety there. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.
