Federal investigators have revealed new details about the final moments before the deadly runway collision at LaGuardia Airport that killed two pilots.
According to investigators, control of the aircraft was transferred from the first officer to the captain just seconds before the plane collided with a fire truck on the runway.
Aviation accident investigator Doug Brazy explained that the control tower warned the fire truck to stop just nine seconds before impact. Seconds later, the plane’s landing gear touched down on the runway.
Investigators said that about six seconds before the crash, the first officer handed control of the aircraft to the captain. It is still unclear why the transfer happened or if it was related to the vehicle on the runway.
The recording from the cockpit ended at the moment of impact, and investigators are continuing to analyze flight data and voice recordings to understand what happened in the final moments.
The two pilots who were killed in the crash have now been identified as Antoine Forest and Mackenzie Gunther. They were operating an Air Canada Express CRJ 900 regional jet at the time of the collision.
Investigators say the cause of the crash is still under investigation, and it may take months before a final report is released.
