LaGuardia Airport collision likely came down to situational awareness: Aviation expert

NEW YORK CITY - A deadly crash late Sunday night involving an airplane and a fire truck that was attempting to cross the runway at LaGuardia Airport has people questioning how such a collision could occur. 

• MORE: Listen to air traffic control audio from fatal LaGuardia crash
• MORE: LaGuardia plane crash: What we know about the victims

LISTEN: Air Traffic Control audio

Federal officials were on the ground Monday morning at LaGuardia Airport as the National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) begins its investigation to find that answer. For aviation expert Steve Arroyo, tragedies like this can come down to situational awareness.

What they're saying:

"It appears it’s situational awareness," the retired United Airlines captain said. "(It’s) very, very important that everybody has the same plan, and plans can change in a second. And, something obviously went really wrong here as the plane was exiting the runway."

What we know:

Both pilots died when the Air Canada Express flight, which was arriving from Montreal, struck the vehicle shortly before midnight on Sunday, and more than 40 others were injured. 

Port Authority officials explained the crash happened around 11:45 p.m. It involved an Air Canada Express Flight 8646 and a Port Authority Police Department emergency vehicle that was responding after another aircraft reported detecting an odor. 

What we don't know:

The results of the NTSB investigation, which will provide an intricate look at what occurred and how it may have been prevented. While a preliminary report will come sooner, the final version will likely take months. 

Arroyo held back on speculating on the cause of the accident, but speculated that it came down to human error. 

What they're saying:

"We’ll get lots of reports as to exactly what happened, but it’s all human factors," he continued. "We are all human. So, yeah, there’s a big responsibility with the control tower and everyone working up there and if you are short-staffed — and I’m not saying that was the case here — but we all know there have been a lot of problems with air traffic control and with staffing, i.e. the incident in Washington, D.C. and what happened last night."

When asked later about the effects of the shutdown, funding problems, and long lines at the airport, Arroyo held back on blaming those factors, but acknowledged that they may have played a part.

"I don’t want to speculate. Everyone is different; we’re all individuals. But, it has to have some kind of impact," he said. "When you have staffing shortages. When you have frustration for everyone these days at airports. You know, there is an element. I mean, we’re only human. 

"But, let’s leave it to the NTSB to do their investigation. They do great work. And, we’ll find lessons learned, and we’ll improve the system based on those lessons learned."

Why was the Canada Air jet was so damaged?

Dig deeper:

Images of the aftermath showed the extent of the damage as the front of the regional jet was ripped away from the rest of the plane and pieces dangled from the exposed fuselage. 

While he noted that the speed of the aircraft as it exited the runway varied depending on conditions, Arroyo, who had flown in and out of LaGuardia a number of times, pointed out that the pilots may have been going up to 50 miles per hour and compared the force of the collision to a car getting into a wreck as it exited onto a highway.

As far as the extent of the damage suffered by the Canada Air jet, Arroyo cited the thinness of the metal used to build the aircraft, but still assured fliers that the planes are very sturdy. 

"The airplane is made out of very light material," he continued. "When you look at the lunar module that landed on the moon. Parts of it was, like, as thin as aluminum foil. 

"These aircraft are extremely sturdy, but it’s very, very thin, so they can collapse very easily. It’s not made like a truck or like a car. These aircraft fly in the air, so they are made very, very intricately without a lot of weight. Unfortunately, that’s what happened."

Dozens injured

By the numbers:

Forty-one people, including passengers, crew members, and PAPD officers were taken to area hospitals. As of Monday morning, 32 of them had been released, while several others were reported to have serious injuries.

LaGuardia Airport reopening

LaGuardia was expected to be closed at least until 2 p.m. on Monday.