'I messed up': LaGuardia Airport shut down after deadly collision



Two are dead and scores more are injured after a plane collided with a fire truck at New York's LaGuardia Airport.

When touching down on Runway 4 at approximately 11:40 p.m. on Sunday, an Air Canada Express CRJ-900 plane operated by regional partner Jazz Aviation struck a Port Authority Airport Rescue and Firefighting vehicle that was responding to a separate incident, said the airport.

'That wasn't good to watch.'

Jazz Aviation confirmed that flight 8646 was en route to LaGuardia from Montreal and carrying 72 passengers and four crew members.

Kathryn Garcia, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said during a press conference early Monday morning that "initial numbers indicate that 41 passengers and crew were transported to the hospital as well as the [Airport Rescue] officers. At this time, we understand that 32 have been released, but there are also serious injuries."

Garcia confirmed that the pilot and first officer of the Air Canada flight were killed in the collision. The sergeant and the officer who were inside the truck are in stable condition with no life-threatening injuries.

Air Canada said in a statement, "We are deeply saddened by the loss of two Jazz employees, and our deepest condolences go out to the entire Jazz community and their families."

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Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images

Jack Cabot, a passenger on the ill-fated flight, said, "We went down for a regular landing. We came in pretty hard. We immediately hit something, and it was just chaos in there. About five seconds later, we had come to a stop, but in that short period, I mean, everybody was hunkered down and everybody was screaming pretty quickly," reported Canadian state media.

"We didn't have any directions because the pilot's cabin had been kind of destroyed, so somebody said, 'Let's get the emergency exit and get the door and let's all jump out,' and that's exactly what we did," added Cabot.

In audio capturing LaGuardia tower communication in the moments leading up to the collision, a ground controller can be heard instructing the truck, "Just stop there. ... Stop, stop, stop, Truck One, stop, stop, stop! Stop, Truck One! Stop!"

The two-man vehicle was headed to a United flight that had reported an issue with an odor, according to Garcia.

"Jazz 646, I see you collide with a vehicle, just hold position," continues the controller. "I know you can't move. Vehicles are responding to you now."

By that point, the cockpit was shorn off, with its occupants almost certainly dead.

An individual in the recording states, "That wasn't good to watch."

The controller who told the truck to stop responds, "Yeah, I know, I was here. I tried to reach out to 'em and stop 'em. We were dealing with an emergency earlier, and I messed up."

Garcia noted that where port authority rescue vehicles operating on the tarmac are concerned, "the procedure always is in deference to the control tower any time anyone is moving on any of our runways or taxiways," and "they have to get clearance from the tower to move on our runways and our taxiways."

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the collision.

LaGuardia, which warned travelers days earlier of "longer than usual wait times" at security checkpoints "due to staffing impacts from the federal funding lapse," announced that the airport will remain closed until at least 2 p.m. on Monday — the first day of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents' expected nationwide deployment to help with security lines at airports.

The New York Police Department announced Monday morning that all streets and highway exits into the airport have been closed until further notice.

According to Federal Aviation Administration data, LaGuardia was the 19th busiest American airport in 2024.

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FACT CHECK: No, Video Doesn’t Show Cargo Plane On Aircraft Carrier

A post shared on X claims to show a Boeing C-17 Globemaster taking off from an aircraft carrier. The Boeing C-17 Globemaster Amazing Takeoff From Shortest Runway. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/UtIoTVtPRR — Trump Girl (@TrumpGirlLove) February 19, 2025 Verdict: False The video is computer-generated imagery. U.S. aircraft carriers do not have ramps. Fact Check: Social media users […]

DC authorities suspect no survivors of deadly midair collision; haunting air traffic control audio released



A PSA Airlines plane operating an American Airlines flight collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C.'s Ronald Reagan National Airport on Wednesday evening. After generating a large fireball over the Potomac River, the remains of both aircraft dropped into the frigid waters.

As authorities do not expect to find any survivors amid the ice and debris, rescue efforts have given way to recovery efforts.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which has launched a joint investigation into the deadly incident with the National Transportation Safety Board, confirmed that American Eagle Flight 5342 en route from Wichita, Kansas, a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet, collided midair with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter while on approach to runway 33 at the airport just before 8:50 p.m. local time.

There were 60 passengers and four crew members on board Flight 5342. Three service members were aboard the helicopter, which the Pentagon indicated was out of Ford Belvoir, Virginia.

'Tower, did you see that?'

Flight surveillance data indicated that the helicopter, apparently on a training flight, was heading south along the District side of the river prior to the collision, reported the Washington Post. The plane was several hundred feet above the water when it came into contact with the Army helicopter.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy indicated during a press conference Thursday morning that the helicopter and the plane were both in a "standard flight pattern" and that based on what he has seen so far, the collision was "absolutely" preventable.

Air traffic control audio has emerged capturing the final communications between the tower and the doomed helicopter as well as observers' reactions in the immediate aftermath.

In one clip released on LiveATC.net, a repository of of air traffic audio recordings, an air traffic controller can be heard saying around the 17:30-minute mark, "PAT25, do you have CRJ in sight? PAT25, pass behind the CRJ."

The aviator in another aircraft can be heard chiming in moments later, "Tower, did you see that?"

An air traffic controller proceeded to direct planes to circumnavigate runway 33.

'This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented.'

At the time of the collision, one air traffic controller can reportedly be heard in a recording saying, "Crash, crash, crash, this is an alert three."

In another clip, an air traffic controller states, "Both the helicopter and the plane crashed into the river. It's east of the approach end of runway 33," later adding, "All runways are closed. Nobody's landing. No one is moving at all."

"I just saw a fireball, and then it was just gone," continued the air traffic controller. "I haven't seen anything since they hit the river, but it was a CRJ and a helicopter that hit. I would say maybe a half-mile off the approach end of 33."

"We are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation," D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said at the Thursday press conference. "We don't believe there are any survivors from this accident."

Donnelly noted that the bodies of 27 people from the plane and one person from the helicopter have been recovered so far.

U.S. Figure Skating told the Post that several members of its skating community were aboard the commercial airliner when it crashed. The likely victims, including athletes, coaches, and family members, were on their way home from the National Development Camp held in Wichita in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

"We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims' families closely in our hearts," said the statement.

President Donald Trump responded to the crash just after midnight, suggesting that something about the incident did not compute.

"The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn't the helicopter go up or down, or turn[?]" the president wrote on Truth Social. "Why didn't the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane[?] This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!"

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One Of Joe Biden’s Last Acts In Office Laced With Cruel Irony

Great legacies to honor!

US Navy apparently shot down own plane over Red Sea



The U.S. Navy apparently shot down one of its own two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornets over the Red Sea on Sunday around 3 a.m. local time. Although one of the pilots was injured, U.S. Central Command indicated that both were safely rescued.

CENTCOM did not provide an indication of the American F/A-18's mission prior to being shot down; however, U.S. forces in the area have recently been conducting airstrikes against Iran-backed Houthi militants and their facilities in Yemen as well as taking out ISIS targets in Syria.

Over the weekend, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy assets reportedly shot down multiple Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile and also conducted strikes against a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility in Sana'a, Yemen. Days earlier, CENTCOM whacked ISIS leader Abu Yusif aka Mahmud via a precision airstrike in the Dayr az Zawr province.

A Navy official told U.S Naval Institute News that the downed F-18 was assigned to Carrier Air Wing One and embarked aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, which entered the CENTCOM area of responsibility on Dec. 14.

'Another indicator of how pathetic a state of readiness our military is in.'

USNI indicated that the crew are most likely with the Red Rippers of Strike Fighter Squadron 11 from Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia.

The strike group, part of Operation Prosperity Guardian, is presently focused on razing Houthi military installations and protecting merchant traffic and American vessels in the southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden from attack.

CENTCOM said in a statement that the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, commanded by Alaska native Captain Justin Hodges, "mistakenly fired on and hit the F/A-18" fighter craft that was flying off the USS Harry S. Truman, confirming that "this incident was not the result of hostile fire."

The Associated Press suggested that earlier Houthi drone and missile attacks may have been responsible for the confusion that led to the alleged friendly fire.

Yahya Saree, a spokesman for the Houhi militants, claimed without evidence that Houthis shot down the F/A-18.

Retired Army Col. Douglas Macgregor noted, "Yes, we shot down our own plane. If this doesn't put a cap on the worst Presidency of modern history, I'm not sure what does."

"This is another indicator of how pathetic a state of readiness our military is in, especially our U.S. Navy," tweeted retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn.

According to a 2024 Government Accountability Office report, "47 of the 49 aircraft we reviewed did not meet DOD's mission capable goals." A previous GAO report noted that between 2011 and 2021, the Navy and Marine Corps F/A-18 jets under review almost always failed to meet their mission capable goal.

The Heritage Foundation concluded in its 2024 index of military strength that "as currently postured, the U.S. military is at significant risk of not being able to defend America's vital national interests."

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'Wow': Biden-Harris DOD bungles Veterans Day commemoration with mind-boggling error



Keen observers noticed something amiss about a Biden-Harris Department of Defense social media post Monday commemorating Veterans Day.

In a now-deleted post on Instagram and X, the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office — whose very existence centers on the F-35 fighter jet — shared an image of an aircraft with the caption, "Today, and every day, we thank all Veterans and those currently serving for their service and sacrifice."

The trouble with the F-35 JPO's post was not the wording but rather the image. Not only was the aircraft pictured not American, it belongs to an adversarial, communist nation that some living veterans commemorated on Monday fought against in Korea.

Military.com noted that instead of the F-35's single Pratt & Whitney F135 turbofan engine, the vehicle depicted in the post had twin engines. On closer examination, it appears as though the F-35 JPO actually posted an image of communist China's J-35 stealth fighter aircraft, the People's Liberation Army Air Force's F-35 knockoff.

'You can't make this stuff up.'

The backlash was immediate.

Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) wrote, "WTAF?"

"Biden Administration: showcasing Chinese military equipment on Veterans Day," wrote Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah).

One commentator on Instagram noted, "'Mom I want an F-35 from the JPO!' 'no son, we have F-35s at home!' *the F-36s at home*"

"Embarrassing," wrote another user. "Please take this down. We don't want a Chinese J-35 supported by our F-35 JPO office."

Conservative filmmaker Robby Starbuck tweeted, "You can't make this stuff up. Wow."

Former Salomon Brothers and Citigroup investment banker John LeFevre wrote, "China stole the IP for the F-35 and then mocked us by naming theirs the J-35. Today, the Biden administration celebrated Veteran's Day by posting a picture of the Chinese knockoff."

The F-35 JPO, which touts itself as the "DoD's focal point for defining next gen strike aircraft weapons systems," deleted the post, then shared images and video of real F-35 jets.

Blaze News has reached out to the F-35 JPO for comment.

While embarrassing, the F-35 JPO's blunder was not the first time the Biden-Harris DOD evidenced difficulty discerning friend from foe.

Stars and Stripes reported that the U.S. Pacific Fleet tweeted then deleted a Fourth of July message last year depicting a service member saluting silhouettes of a Russian Kashin-class destroyer and Russian Sukhoi-27 fighter jets.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service similarly mistook an adversary's ship for its own, celebrating the U.S. Navy's 246th birthday in 2021 with an image of a Russian Kirov-class battle cruiser.

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United Airlines Boeing aircraft found to be missing external panel



An external panel was found to be missing on an aircraft after it arrived in Medford, Oregon, according to United Airlines.

"This afternoon, United flight 433 landed safely at its scheduled destination at Rogue Valley International/Medford Airport. After the aircraft was parked at the gate, it was discovered to be missing an external panel. We'll conduct a thorough examination of the plane and perform all the needed repairs before it returns to service. We'll also conduct an investigation to better understand how this damage occurred," the airline noted in a statement, according to nbcbayarea.com.

The outlet reported that United noted that there had been 139 passengers and six crewmembers aboard the aircraft.

The flight had traveled to Medford, Oregon, from San Francisco, California, according to FlightAware.

The aircraft is a Boeing 737-824, according to airport director Amber Judd, Rogue Valley Times reported.

The outlet reported that based on the plane's N-number, the airplane had been delivered to Continental Airlines December 22, 1998. The aircraft has been operated by United since November 30, 2011, according to the outlet.

Earlier this year, "a left mid-cabin door plug blew out of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 on January 5 while in flight," according to the FAA. That incident also involved a Boeing aircraft.

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Chaos ensues after airline passenger forces open plane door mid-flight: 'I thought the plane was going to explode'



A passenger aboard an Asiana Airlines flight from Jeju Island to the South Korean city of Daegu was apparently in a rush to deplane, opening the door just minutes before landing.

A 33-year-old male seated next to an emergency exit reportedly forced open the door on an Airbus A321-200, which was carrying 194 souls including 48 primary and middle school children on their way to a sporting event.

When the door was opened, the plane was roughly 700 feet off the ground and traveling about 170 mph, reported Reuters.

Baek Hyunwoo, a spokesman for the airline, indicated the feat would normally be impossible owing to the difference in air pressure inside and outside the cabin; however, at the lower altitude, there was only a slight difference in air pressure.

Since the plane was descending, the flight attendants were reportedly buckled up and seated too far away to make a swift intervention.

Footage of the incident taken by another passenger shows strapped-down passengers holding on for dear life, with daylight and powerful gusts flooding the cabin.

\u201cMan arrested after opening door as plane prepared to land in South Korea, 9 people taken to hospital - Yonhap\u201d
— BNO News (@BNO News) 1685087257

Another video of the incident shows the plane door ajar and various garments flapping in the wind.

\u201cDoor of Asiana Airlines plane opens in mid-air just before landing in South Korea; 9 people taken to hospital with breathing difficulties\u201d
— BNO News (@BNO News) 1685080680

According to Sky News, some passengers suffered extreme ear pain after the door was opened.

One 44-year-old passenger told the Yonhap News Agency, "I thought the plane was going to explode. ... It looked like passengers next to the open door were fainting."

The mother of one of the schoolchildren aboard the plane said, "The children were shaking, crying, and frightened. Those sitting near the exit must have been shocked the most."

Despite the open door, the plane managed to land safely. There were no casualties.

Twelve people, all but one of whom were between the ages of 11 and 16, reportedly hyperventilated. Nine were taken to a hospital.

Kim Hyeong-su, an officer in the criminal affairs division of the Daegu Dongbu Police Station, indicated the man accused of opening the door could face charges of violating aviation security laws, reported the New York Times.

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