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FAA makes changes to airport security in wake of LaGuardia Airport crash
The Federal Aviation Administration is introducing a new safety measure for airport runways, following a March incident at LaGuardia Airport in which a jet struck a fire truck.Related video above: NTSB investigates ‘many’ issues in LaGuardia crashIn a news release, the FAA said airport vehicles will be equipped with transponders called vehicle movement area transmitters “that help air traffic controllers identify and track them on runways and taxiways.” “Vehicle Movement Area Transmitters (VMATs) help prevent dangerous runway incidents and by accelerating the deployment of this technology, we’re closing critical visibility gaps on our nation’s runways and taxiways,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford wrote in a news release. “This initiative is yet another example of our commitment to proactive safety improvements and strong collaboration across the aviation community.”According to the FAA, the administration had been planning this project for months and accelerated it after an Air Canada jet struck a firefighting vehicle upon landing at LaGuardia on March 22, killing both pilots.In that incident, a firefighter in the truck that collided with the jet heard an air traffic controller warn “stop, stop, stop” before the collision but didn’t know who it was for.A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board says a crash prevention system didn’t generate an audio or visual alert in the control tower and runway entrance lights that act as stop lights for crossing traffic were on for about three seconds before the collision occurred. The system is designed to turn the lights off two or three seconds before a plane reaches an intersection, the report said. The plane, a CRJ900 regional jet from Montreal, had more than 70 people on board. Pilots Antoine Forest, 24, and Mackenzie Gunther, 30, were killed. About 40 people, including the two people in the fire truck, were taken to hospitals.A flight attendant still strapped in her seat survived after being thrown onto the tarmac.The fire truck was leading a convoy of six vehicles, including four fire trucks, a stair truck and a police vehicle, responding to an emergency involving a strong odor reported in the cabin of an outbound United Airlines jet.The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Federal Aviation Administration is introducing a new safety measure for airport runways, following a March incident at LaGuardia Airport in which a jet struck a fire truck.
Related video above: NTSB investigates ‘many’ issues in LaGuardia crash
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In a news release, the FAA said airport vehicles will be equipped with transponders called vehicle movement area transmitters “that help air traffic controllers identify and track them on runways and taxiways.”
“Vehicle Movement Area Transmitters (VMATs) help prevent dangerous runway incidents and by accelerating the deployment of this technology, we’re closing critical visibility gaps on our nation’s runways and taxiways,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford wrote in a news release. “This initiative is yet another example of our commitment to proactive safety improvements and strong collaboration across the aviation community.”
According to the FAA, the administration had been planning this project for months and accelerated it after an Air Canada jet struck a firefighting vehicle upon landing at LaGuardia on March 22, killing both pilots.
In that incident, a firefighter in the truck that collided with the jet heard an air traffic controller warn “stop, stop, stop” before the collision but didn’t know who it was for.
A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board says a crash prevention system didn’t generate an audio or visual alert in the control tower and runway entrance lights that act as stop lights for crossing traffic were on for about three seconds before the collision occurred. The system is designed to turn the lights off two or three seconds before a plane reaches an intersection, the report said.
The plane, a CRJ900 regional jet from Montreal, had more than 70 people on board. Pilots Antoine Forest, 24, and Mackenzie Gunther, 30, were killed. About 40 people, including the two people in the fire truck, were taken to hospitals.
A flight attendant still strapped in her seat survived after being thrown onto the tarmac.
The fire truck was leading a convoy of six vehicles, including four fire trucks, a stair truck and a police vehicle, responding to an emergency involving a strong odor reported in the cabin of an outbound United Airlines jet.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
