What happened
During a nighttime landing on runway 04 at New York-LaGuardia Airport, an aircraft was performing its braking sequence when it struck an emergency response vehicle. At a speed of 114 knots, the plane collided with Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting truck n°35. The truck had entered the runway from taxiway D, crossing the path of the aircraft from the left side.
The emergency vehicle was in transit to assist a separate incident involving a United Boeing 737 MAX 8 flight 2384, which had reported an unidentified odor in its cockpit. Following the impact, the aircraft lost control and veered toward the right side of the runway, eventually coming to a stop on a parallel taxiway. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the cockpit and the forward section of the plane.
The accident resulted in two fatalities among the flight crew and nine injuries among the passengers. In total, 41 individuals from the aircraft were taken to a hospital for medical evaluation, with 32 later being discharged.
Findings
- The collision occurred while the aircraft was traveling at 114 knots.
- The emergency vehicle entered the active runway from a taxiway while responding to a different flight's request for assistance.