Federal investigators probing a deadly runway collision at New York's LaGuardia Airport faced significant delays due to long security lines tied to the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown, according to National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy.
Speaking at a press conference Monday evening, Homendy said key personnel struggled to reach the crash site, with one air traffic control specialist delayed for three hours at a Houston airport security checkpoint.
Officials said they were forced to "beg" for expedited access, underscoring how staffing shortages are disrupting critical response efforts nationwide.
"It's been a really, really big challenge to get the entire team here," Homendy said, noting that investigators were forced to arrive by train, plane, and car as logistical hurdles mounted.
The crash occurred late Sunday when a Jazz Aviation flight operating for Air Canada collided with a fire truck responding to a separate incident involving a United Airlines aircraft.
The impact killed the pilot and co-pilot and injured dozens of passengers. Of the 72 passengers and four crew members on board, 41 were hospitalized, most of whom were later released.
Homendy described a sprawling and hazardous crash site, with debris stretching from a taxiway across a runway.
"There is a tremendous amount of debris; it's pretty expansive," she said, adding that investigators must navigate safety risks including hazardous materials from the emergency vehicle.
According to the NTSB, crews cut into the aircraft to retrieve the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, key pieces of evidence now under analysis in Washington.
The cockpit recorder has already been confirmed intact, with further data expected soon.
The LaGuardia collision comes amid mounting strain across the nation's airports, where staffing shortages, long security lines, and aging infrastructure have increasingly disrupted operations.
The DHS shutdown has exacerbated these issues, leaving security checkpoints understaffed and creating bottlenecks that, in this case, can delay time-sensitive federal investigations.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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