Investigators probing the deadly collision involving Air Canada Flight 8646 at LaGuardia Airport are focusing on why a fire truck was cleared to cross the runway moments before the aircraft landed. Preliminary timelines suggest the vehicle entered the active runway seconds before touchdown.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recovered both the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder. Officials confirmed the devices are intact and are being analysed in Washington, DC to reconstruct pilot-controller communication and flight conditions.

Investigators plan to interview the air traffic controller on duty, who was reportedly handling another emergency involving a United Airlines flight at the same time. Audio recordings indicate the controller issued a last-second “stop” command to the fire vehicle before impact.

Authorities from the United States and Canada, including the Federal Aviation Administration, are conducting a joint probe into the incident. The investigation will examine coordination between air traffic control and ground operations, including runway incursion safeguards.

The fire truck had been dispatched to assist a separate aircraft reporting an onboard issue. Investigators are reviewing whether emergency protocols and vehicle routing procedures contributed to the runway conflict.

Officials are assessing controller workload, airfield traffic levels, and communication sequencing. Data shows over 50 flight movements occurred in the hour before the crash—more than double typical levels—raising questions about operational pressure.

Debris recovery and runway inspections are ongoing, with at least one runway expected to remain closed for days. Operations at LaGuardia have partially resumed, but cancellations and delays persist due to reduced capacity.

The crash has renewed scrutiny of runway safety systems, staffing levels, and coordination between controllers and ground vehicles.

Pilots had raised repeated concerns over miscommunication and air traffic control lapses at LaGuardia Airport in the two years leading up to the recent fatal collision, according to a CNN review of government records.

At least a dozen reports submitted to NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System highlighted close calls, including instances where controllers failed to provide clear guidance on nearby aircraft.