CBS Evening News CBS Evening News, 03/23/26
Mar 24, 2026
Tom Hansen, an on-scene correspondent at LaGuardia Airport, reports live from the Air Canada runway collision, describing visible wreckage and investigative activity. He walks through recovered data recorders and surveillance footage. The broadcast also covers air traffic control staffing concerns and the broader impact on airport operations.
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Controller Workload Can Cause Runway Catastrophes
- Air traffic control error can cascade into catastrophic outcomes when workload spikes during emergencies.
- At LaGuardia a controller cleared a fire truck amid a fume-odor response and then tried to reverse the clearance as an Air Canada jet was landing.
Surveillance Caught The Deadly Impact
- Surveillance shows the Air Canada Express jet hit the Port Authority fire truck nose-first at over 100 mph, shearing off the plane nose and flipping the truck onto grass.
- Both pilots died, a flight attendant was thrown onto the tarmac still strapped to her jump seat, and dozens were injured.
Radio Channels And Staffing Shape Runway Safety
- Investigators will probe tower staffing, workload, and radio channel splits to see who knew what and when.
- Chris Van Cleave noted pilots and ground vehicles often use different channels so pilots may never hear a vehicle cleared to cross during final flare.