A flight attendant survived after being ejected from the Air Canada jet during Sunday night's deadly runway collision at LaGuardia Airport. Her daughter said that her survival is a miracle.
The crash occurred after a fire truck was cleared to cross the tarmac just before midnight to check on another plane that had aborted takeoff. Moments before the collision, the airport radio captured an air traffic controller urgently shouting for the truck to stop.
The crash killed both pilots. About 40 people from the Montreal flight, plus two from the fire truck, were hospitalized, some with serious injuries. Most were released by Monday morning, officials said. The plane had 72 passengers and four crew members onboard.
Among the injured was flight attendant Solange Tremblay, who was seated behind the cockpit at the time of impact.
“It’s a complete miracle,” Lépine said. “At the moment of impact, her seat was ejected more than a hundred meters from the plane. They found her, and she was still strapped into her seat. She had a guardian angel watching over her. It could have been much worse.”
Tremblay suffered multiple fractures, including a broken leg requiring surgery, but her life is not in danger, according to her family.
He said he’s still waiting to hear from his wife and thanked everyone for their support. Tremblay’s Facebook profile shows she’s been a flight attendant with Air Canada Jazz for 27 years.
The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are leading the investigation, with support from Canadian authorities, U.S. officials said.
Weather conditions at the time included rain and mist. LaGuardia temporarily shut down following the crash before reopening early Monday.