A flight attendant needed hospitalization after a “low speed collision” at LaGuardia between two CRJs operated by Endeavor Air on Wednesday. One had just arrived from Charlotte and the other was getting ready to go to Roanoke when the right wing of the departing aircraft hit the nose of the arriving flight. It’s not clear how the flight attendant was hurt, and the nature of his or her injuries has not been released. Debris littered the taxiway where the collision occurred, and the pilot of the arriving plane said there was substantial damage. “Their right wing clipped our nose and the cockpit we have damage to our windscreen and … some of our screens in here,” the pilot said on the radio. VASA Aviation produced this nice synopsis, with audio.
There were 28 passengers and four crew on the departing flight and 57 passengers and four crew just arriving from Charlotte. The departing passengers got hotel rooms and meal vouchers and were booked on a flight Thursday. The NTSB sent 10 investigators to La Guardia, according to the New York Times. Flight Radar 24 put this animation of the mishap together.
SEE: facebook.com/reel/24668402149512823
Juan Browne in his excellent analysis of this accident points out that that the offending aircraft had been given a clearance to taxi and hold short of runway 4 at taxiway M. This creates the expectation with the crew that taxiway M is somewhere reasonably close to runway 4 whereas that is not the case. Taxiway M is at least a mile away from runway 4. Then with an expectation bias having been instilled in the crew that taxiway M is near runway 4, and the fact that they read back the clearance correctly, they now start taxiing with a confirmation bias thinking they will be encountering taxiway M way downfield.
Many of us will point fingers and say they should have located taxiway M prior to taxiing. Yes they should have. They are also under the gun to get the show on the road and make their way to takeoff. In Browne’s opinion and in mine as well, the taxi clearance should have been limited to taxiway M, period full stop, then and only then after the exiting aircraft had passed in front of them still holding short of taxiway M should ground control have cleared them to and hold short of runway 4 which was still a mile away.
I’m imagining the cockpit guys did some serious ducking if they saw it coming.
Without seeing the markings or hearing the conversation, it looks like the landing aircraft would have been told, “turn right, hold short of the parallel taxiway (actually, issue the name of it) for taxiing traffic, contact ground.”
Here you go. LGA controllers talk too fast, but pilots seem to understand. Former ORD controller passing judgement.
https://youtu.be/hqbtjstu_5w?si=JHX2R8NSwprFNTyX
Anyone else notice the fireman in the lower left of the photo is wearing shorts with his fire jacket?