‘The adrenaline took over’: Air Canada survivor reveals why he opened emergency door during crash
EAST ELMHURST, NEW YORK: An Air Canada plane collided with a fire truck while landing at LaGuardia Airport on Sunday night, leading to hours-long closure of the airport. The crash resulted in the deaths of the pilot and co-pilot, while 43 were reported injured, including two fire officers.
In an interview with Kaitlan Collins of CNN, a passenger who survived the crash and also helped open the emergency door, shared a detailed account of the terrifying experience. During the interview, Collins introduced the passenger as Joe, noting that he had been seated in the exit row.
Kaitlan Collins interviews survivor from the LaGuardia crash
During the interview, Collins shared her relief over the passenger's safety before inviting him to recount his experience during the landing.
Joe explained, "I was seated in the left side of the exit row by the emergency exit door, and as the plane was descending onto the landing strip, I noticed that there were a line of emergency vehicles that were along the left side of the landing strip"
He continued, "I didn't think anything of it, but we landed pretty normally. We made it probably about halfway down the tarmac until what felt like a sudden stop."
Joe then stated, "I equate it to if you've ever been in a car and somebody breaks hard or pulls an emergency exit on a train, and everybody jolted forward really abruptly, and then maybe a second or two later, people were thrown backwards as it felt like we had hit a large object or something had happened."
Joe described the sensation as the plane “gliding” or “hydroplaning” across the runway before coming to a halt. Inside the cabin, he said, confusion quickly turned into fear, with passengers checking on one another and asking if anyone was injured.
When asked if he could tell the plane had hit something, Joe said it “felt like a large crash or bump, It felt like a large bang into an object. That's when the plane shifted at an angle to the right, and our bodies were shifted at an angle to the right as it felt like we were gliding across the runway. You can feel the impact, and that's when you can tell something was wrong.”
Kaitlan then asked, “You actually helped open the emergency door. What happened in those moments after this?”
Joe replied, “The adrenaline took over. Somebody in the front of the plane had yelled, ‘Open the emergency exits because something was very wrong at the front.’ It took a couple of seconds to process what had happened.”
Joe pays tribute to deceased pilots
Emergency responders, including the FDNY, quickly surrounded the aircraft. Upon looking toward the front, Joe described a devastating scene, stating that the front of the plane was “completely destroyed,” with debris scattered across the tarmac.
Reflecting on the moments after evacuation, Joe admitted he was overwhelmed, describing himself as “a wreck.” In response to Collins’ question about the pilots’ actions, Joe expressed strong belief that their final efforts prevented greater loss of life.
Calling them “heroes,” he credited them with saving over 70 people on board. He extended condolences to their families, acknowledging the immense loss while emphasizing that their actions in the final moments made a critical difference.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the crash, with team members arriving throughout the day. Crews worked at the scene on Monday, attending to the plane and the fire truck, which remains on its side amid scattered debris.
The Federal Aviation Administration, along with Canada’s Transportation Safety Board, is also participating in the investigation.
