Trump calls LaGuardia crash ‘terrible,’ says it was a ‘mistake’ in dangerous business

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump on Monday, March 23, described the deadly collision at LaGuardia Airport as “terrible,” as federal investigators moved quickly to examine the cause of the late-night crash involving an Air Canada flight and a fire rescue vehicle.

Speaking to reporters, Trump said the incident appeared to involve human error, adding, “They made a mistake; it’s a dangerous business.”

The remarks came as authorities began piecing together the sequence of events that led to the collision, which killed both pilots aboard the Jazz Aviation-operated flight and injured dozens more.

Controller admits he 'messed up' after crash

Audio recordings reviewed as part of the investigation captured a moment from the LaGuardia control tower shortly after the crash.

In the exchange, a controller can be heard saying, “I messed up,” while speaking with a Frontier Airlines pilot who witnessed the collision.

The controller also referenced an earlier emergency being handled by the tower at the time. “Yeah, I know. I tried to reach out to them… We were dealing with an emergency earlier. I messed up,” he said in the recording.

Officials from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have confirmed the audio is being examined as part of the ongoing probe. Investigators are reviewing whether communication breakdowns or workload pressures contributed to the incident.

Surveillance video captures fatal runway collision

The collision occurred around 11:40 p.m. Sunday when the Air Canada flight struck an Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle on the runway. The vehicle had been responding to a separate situation at the airport, according to officials.

Surveillance footage has been secured and is now part of the NTSB’s investigation. Authorities said both the pilot and the first officer were killed in the impact.

Emergency responders transported 41 people to nearby hospitals, including 39 passengers and two fire personnel who were inside the vehicle.

Officials have not released a final count of serious injuries. LaGuardia Airport remained closed into Monday as crews conducted recovery operations and investigators assessed the scene.

Flight attendant survives strapped to seat

Amid the casualties, one crew member was found alive outside the main wreckage. A law enforcement source said a flight attendant was discovered still strapped into her jumpseat after the crash.

The circumstances surrounding her survival are under review as investigators examine the structural impact of the collision and passenger safety systems.

The NTSB said the investigation will focus on multiple factors, including air traffic control coordination, runway activity, and emergency response procedures.

Officials cautioned that determining the full cause of the crash could take months as data, recordings, and physical evidence are analyzed.