President Donald Trump weighed in on the deadly aviation crash at LaGuardia Airport early Monday, calling the situation “terrible” and acknowledging the inherent risks of flying.
Donald Trump reacts to recent Air Canada flight crash
Speaking briefly to reporters before leaving on Air Force One for Nashville, Donald Trump gave his reaction to the overnight collision between an Air Canada jet and a firetruck. His comments came as federal investigators began arriving at the Queens airport to determine what went wrong.
“Terrible. They made a mistake. It’s a dangerous business,” Trump said. “That’s terrible.” The president did not specify who he believed was at fault, but his remarks followed the release of air traffic control audio catching a controller acknowledging an error moments after the crash.
Authorities said the collision happened shortly before midnight on Sunday when an aircraft coming from Montreal struck a fire vehicle that was responding to another incident on the runway. The LaGuardia airport suspended operations following the crash and remained closed through at least early Monday afternoon.
Air Canada confirmed to NBC News that the flight was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members. The airline also established a hotline for families seeking information about those on board. The two pilots did not survive the crash, according to Port Authority officials. In a Monday morning briefing, the agency’s executive director reported that 41 individuals were taken to area hospitals. The majority have already been released. Two Port Authority police officers suffered serious injuries but were listed in stable condition. One child traveling alone on the flight had been safely reunited with family, according to the officials.
Audio recordings from LaGuardia’s control tower, made public on Monday, revealed a controller initially granting permission for the firetruck to cross the runway before urgently shouting for it to stop. Later in the recording, the controller can be heard saying, “I messed up.” The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have launched a full investigation (via People).
