Air Canada Crash: Runway Incursions & Staffing Shortages

0:00Last Sunday night, an air candidate express flight smashed into a fire truck on the Gordia airport's runway for just eight seconds after touchdown. Both pilots died and dozens got hurt in the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board jumped in to investigate right away. The fire truck rolled onto the active runway around 11.40pm on March 22nd, despite the air traffic controller yelling over the radio to stop. Turns out, that truck had no transponder to ping its location to the tower or trigger alarms. Former top safety official Kathy Foxx, who started as a controller herself, called it every controller's nightmare. She and retire controller Dennis Weish shared stories of high-stress shifts, mandatory overtime, and juggling planes like a three-dimensional ballet, all while spotting trouble seconds ahead. Investigators already flagged missing tech on ground vehicles as a big miss, and Foxx wants layers peeled back to prevent repeats.

1:01In Canada, runway incursions doubled from 2010 to 2021, hitting over 600 last year, though most are minor. Meanwhile, staffing shortages at big airports mean delays and throttle traffic, but Nav Canada is hiring hundreds and training more. Some spots now add transponders to vehicles, and calls grow for pilot alerts to cut risks. Last deadly one here was back in February 19th, 78th, stay sharp up there. I'm Cory with the story, and you've been listening to Canada News today, AI-powered local news.