LaGuardia crash exposes systemic problems

This is an extraordinarily chaotic and tumultuous time for air travel in this country. 

Late Sunday night, that turmoil turned tragic, when an Air Canada jet that had just landed at LaGuardia Airport crashed into a fire truck crossing the runway. The pilot and co-pilot were killed, a flight attendant was ejected while strapped to her seat, and dozens of passengers were taken to the hospital, some seriously injured.

There's much we do not know about the crash, which closed LaGuardia to all arriving and departing flights until 2 p.m. Monday, resulting in cascading delays and cancellations. But what we do know is concerning. Disturbing surveillance video shows the just-landed plane speeding down the runway at about 100 mph, as a large Port Authority fire truck moved across its path, leading the plane to hit the middle of the truck. Troubling air traffic control transmissions indicate that a controller first cleared the truck to move across the runway, then frantically urged the truck to "Stop," apparently while communicating with other incoming aircraft. In a conversation moments later, the controller sounds like he's telling another plane's pilot, "We were dealing with an emergency earlier. I messed up."

The LaGuardia incident comes a year after 67 people died in a midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Also last year, staffing shortages and equipment failures caused massive delays, cancellations and difficulties at Newark Liberty International Airport. And on Monday, Newark had its own problems, as smoke in the control tower forced an evacuation and an air traffic stoppage there.

All of this comes as Transportation Security Administration personnel are working without pay — and hundreds more have resigned — thanks to the Trump administration's standoff with congressional Democrats. Staffing shortages and massive security delays led President Donald Trump to deploy U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to assist at airports around the country. ICE is not the answer to the airport security clogs. Instead, Trump and congressional Republicans must agree to a bipartisan funding deal, even as they seek to repair ICE's out-of-control reputation.

That's relatively simple compared with the need to fully address air travel's systemic challenges.

Questions abound. Were LaGuardia's air traffic, local and ground control operations adequately staffed late Sunday? Was a single controller handling multiple frequencies and tasks? Were those on staff adequately trained and appropriately certified? Did they communicate with one another? And did LaGuardia's limited runways and geographic constraints play a role? 

The National Transportation Safety Board's investigation must happen quickly and transparently. But even that isn't easy as the other air travel challenges exacerbate the situation; NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy indicated Monday that her specialists had difficulty getting to LaGuardia due to TSA delays and other issues.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has sought funds to modernize air traffic control infrastructure and equipment. That could help. But staffing and training remain critical. 

We cannot wait for the changes necessary to keep us flying and landing safely. That work must start now.