Trump’s Posturing Causes Death Of Two Canadian Pilots
Trump’s denial of funding to the FAA has had tragic repercussions this morning when two Air Canada Pilots died after their plane hit an unseen fire rescue truck at LaGuardia Airport.
“Stop, Truck 1. Stop,” appealed the frantic voice of an air traffic controller moments before the collision. The controller can then be heard anxiously diverting other planes from landing.
It was Trump’s political maneuvering in Congress to force the Democrats to pass his voting restrictions (the SAVE Act) that has left the FAA without the resources to properly oversee airline safety.
Over 13,000 air traffic controllers were left without pay and more than 10,000 workers were furloughed. Other parts of the Dept of Transport were also affected. Trump is upbeat: “We had a big GDP…I lost a point and a half because of the last [shutdown]”. Everything is personal to Trump. When the 9/11 crises destroyed the Twin Towers in New York, he phoned a radio station to brag that Trump Towers was now the tallest building in the city (and even that was a lie).
The fire truck was travelling across the runway to respond to a separate incident aboard a United Airlines flight. Multiple vehicles left the airport fire station and approached Runway 4, where AC8646 was landing. As required, they requested permission to cross the runway from controllers. That permission is granted and the lumbering vehicles began to accelerate.
Mere seconds later, the same ground controller is heard on the radio urgently calling on the vehicles to stop. He uses the word “stop” ten times.
It’s too late. A collision occurs as the Air Canada plane touches down at speed. It hit the fire truck at about 24 mph. The entire nose section of the aircraft was crushed.
The controller tells the Air Canada pilots that help is on the way. But the nose is already sheared off. They likely do not hear. They may have already been dead.
The controller can be heard continuing to do his job — but clearly in distress — as alarms sound at his location. The controller is heard on the audio saying “I messed up.” Another pilot tries to console him. Standard procedure would then require he be relieved of his position — the very first step in what will be a long investigation.
This event occurred last night around midnight.
There is no word on when an investigation will be launched into Trump’s screw-ups.
At least 13 other people, including 11 passengers and two first responders, were taken to hospital with injuries. There were 76 people on board the Air Canada plane, including fur crew members.
As Republicans blocking Democratic bills to fund TSA while ICE negotiations continue, passenger wait times at other airports have reached several hours in length. Many airports have closed. Trump has ordered ICE agents to airports starting today to aid TSA. They have not been trained and are barely literate. Trump’s kind of people. The ICE agents “know how to pat people down” and operate x-ray machines. So there’s that.
Everett Kelley, the national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, which is the exclusive union rep of TSA officers, said in a statement on Sunday that ICE agents aren’t trained or certified in aviation security, something that TSA officers spend months learning. “Putting untrained personnel at security checkpoints does not fill a gap. It creates one. ”
And I see that 37,000 people have replied to Elon Musk’s idea:
Canadian Minister of Transport Steven MacKinnon offered his condolences to those affected by the deadly crash.
“I am deeply saddened by the tragic accident at LaGuardia Airport involving an Air Canada aircraft arriving from Montréal,” MacKinnon posted Monday on X.
“My thoughts are with the families, loved ones, and colleagues of those who lost their lives, as well as all those who were injured,” he said.
My son is a pilot, albeit on the military side. I can’t image what the spouses and parents of those two Air Canada pilots are going through right now. It’s hard enough for a parent to ignore all the things that could go wrong on a plane, without throwing in the Trump FU Factor.
I know the stats about air travel and how safe it is.
When it’s your child flying the plane, somehow the numbers are not comforting.
I can only hope that the air traffic controller involved in this crash does not blame himself; the agony would be terrible.
The blame belongs elsewhere.
Be on the streets on March 28th to show the world where our pain belongs!
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In the next two weeks we will look at Goliath’s Curse – The history and future of societal collapse.
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Thank you Barry for getting this out so quickly, and that this so well informed. Two members of our family are Air Canada cabin crew. I always worry if they have to fly into the USA. Extending deep sympathy to the families of the pilots.
I feel for the families of those who lost love ones and I feel for the overworked and unpaid air traffic controllers who have to suffer.
The blame lies squarely with the Trump administration who have so little respect for ordinary people.