Around 11:40 p.m., a fire truck asked the LaGuardia control tower for permission to cross runway number 4 to head toward a United Airlines plane. A few seconds later, disaster strikes. The exchange was recorded and made available on the specialized site ATC.net. Here is the full transcription, peppered with air traffic controller jargon.
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Audio – Collision at LaGuardia Airport “I screwed up”: the fatal seconds before the collision
Vehicle : Truck 1 to the company, La Guardia tower, requests to cross 04 to Delta.
Round : Truck 1 and company, cross 04 at Delta.
Vehicle : Truck 1 crosses 04 in Delta.
Round : Border 4195, stop there, please. Stop, stop, stop. Stop it. Truck 1, stop. Stop!
Voice 1: Delta 2603, circle, heading to landing strip, 2000, Jazz 646.
Round : Jazz 646, I see you have collided with a vehicle, maintain your position. I know you can’t move. The vehicles respond to you instantly.
Voice 2: Is the track closed?
Round : Delta 2603, go around, heading one way, 2000.
Voice 2: In direction 2000, turn completed, Delta 2603.
Voice 3: Truck 32, track closed. Is this correct?
Round : Yes, go to track 4 now, you have access to it. Border 4195, I got word that we’re going to be closed for a while. If you want to prepare to return to the ramp, let me know.
Voice 2: Yes, we have activities underway for this, manit was not a pretty sight.
Round : I know, I was there. I tried to contact them to stop them. We had an emergency here. I messed up.
Voice 2: No, manyou did your best.
