The collision between an aircraft and a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport was caused by a ground tracking system failure. This was stated by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Reuters reports, writes UNN.
Details
According to the investigation, the ASDE-X system, which allows dispatchers to track the movement of aircraft and equipment on the runway, failed during the incident.
The system did not generate a warning due to the complex trajectory of objects near the runway
As a result, the dispatcher did not receive a signal about the dangerous approach of the aircraft and the fire truck.
Additional factors
It was established that the fire truck was not equipped with a transponder, which allows for more accurate tracking of equipment movement.
Also, the truck drove onto the runway less than 10 seconds before the collision, which significantly limited the time for reaction.
Circumstances of the incident
The collision involved an Air Canada Express CRJ-900 aircraft with 72 passengers and 4 crew members on board.
The investigation is ongoing. The NTSB emphasizes that the accident could have been caused by a combination of factors, including the work of dispatchers and staff workload.