US Investigation: Air Canada Jet Collided with Fire Truck Killing 2; Ground Surveillance System Failed Before Accident

WASHINGTON (CNA/Reuters) - The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stated on the 23rd that a key runway safety system failed to activate before a fatal collision between an Air Canada Express regional jet and a fire truck on March 22, resulting in the deaths of two pilots. In its preliminary report, the NTSB noted that the red runway status lights remained on until about 3 seconds before the collision. The system is designed to turn off lights 2 to 3 seconds before an aircraft reaches an intersection. The Air Canada Express CRJ-900 landed 2 seconds before the crash at a speed of 104 mph. Of the 76 passengers and crew on board, 39 were hospitalized, including 6 with serious injuries. The airport's ground surveillance system failed to issue an alert, and the fire truck involved was not equipped with a transponder. The turret operator on the fire truck recalled hearing 'stop, stop, stop' on the radio but didn't realize it was directed at them until they were already on the runway. The FAA encourages transponder use for easier tracking of emergency vehicles.