US officials on Tuesday played down speculation that distracted air traffic controllers might have contributed to a deadly collision between an Air Canada jet and a fire truck at New York's LaGuardia Airport. Â
Two pilots were killed in the runway crash late Sunday, which crushed the cockpit of the Bombardier plane and heavily damaged the emergency vehicle.
kAm|65:2 C6A@CED D2:5 :?G6DE:82E@CD H6C6 AC@3:?8 H96E96C 2:CA@CE EC277:4 4@?EC@==6CD H6C6 5:DEC24E65 3J 2 D6A2C2E6 @5@C :DDF6 @? 2 &?:E65 p:C=:?6D 7=:89E \\ E96 6>6C86?4J E@ H9:49 E96 7:C6 ECF4< H2D C6DA@?5:?8]Â k^Am
kAmQx H@F=5 42FE:@? A@:?E:?8 7:?86CD 2E 4@?EC@==6CD 2?5 D2J:?8 5:DEC24E:@? H2D :?G@=G65[Q y6??:76C w@>6?5J[ 492:C @7 E96 }2E:@?2= %C2?DA@CE2E:@? $276EJ q@2C5[ E@=5 C6A@CE6CD]k^Am
kAmQ(6 C2C6=J[ :7 6G6C[ :?G6DE:82E6 2 >2;@C 244:56?E H96C6 :E H2D @?6 72:=FC6[Q D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmQ~FC 2G:2E:@? DJDE6> :D :?4C65:3=J D276 3642FD6 E96C6 2C6 >F=E:A=6[ >F=E:A=6 =2J6CD @7 5676?D6 3F:=E :? E@ AC6G6?E 2? 244:56?E] $@ H96? D@>6E9:?8 8@6D HC@?8[ E92E >62?D >2?J[ >2?J E9:?8D H6?E HC@?8[Q D96 D2:5]Â k^Am
kAm%H@ 2:C EC277:4 4@?EC@==6CD H6C6 H@C<:?8 :? {2vF2C5:2VD E@H6C 2E E96 E:>6[ w@>6?5J D2:5]k^Am
kAmx? 255:E:@? E@ E96:C 4@C6 C@=6D[ E96 EH@ H6C6 92?5=:?8 56A2CEFC6 4=62C2?46D 2?5 8C@F?5 EC277:4 4@?EC@=[ E9@F89 :E H2D F?4=62C 9@H E9@D6 5FE:6D H6C6 5:DEC:3FE65]Â k^Am
kAmw@>6?5J D2:5 E96 DE277:?8 =6G6= H2D Q4@>>@? AC24E:46 24C@DD E96 ?2E:@?2= 2:CDA246Q 7@C 2 >:5?:89E D9:7E[ ?@E:?8 9@H6G6C E92E 96C 286?4J 925 AC6G:@FD=J C2:D65 4@?46C?D 23@FE 72E:8F6]k^Am
kAmQ(6 92G6 ?@ :?5:42E:@? E92E H2D 2 724E@C 96C6[ 3FE :E :D 2 D9:7E E92E H6 92G6 366? 7@4FD65 @? :? A2DE :?G6DE:82E:@?D[Q D96 D2:5]Â k^Am
k9am\ }@ 2=6CE \k^9am
kAmw@>6?5J 25565 E92E E96 CF?H2J D276EJ DJDE6> p$st\)[ 56D:8?65 E@ EC24< 2:C4C27E 2?5 8C@F?5 G69:4=6D[ 5:5 ?@E 86?6C2E6 2? 2=6CE 367@C6 E96 4C2D9 3642FD6 E96 7:C6 ECF4< H2D ?@E 6BF:AA65 H:E9 2 EC2?DA@?56C]Â k^Am
kAm%96 }%$qVD =625 :?G6DE:82E@C s@F8 qC2KJ D2:5 E96 3@2C5 H2D 2?2=JK:?8 >@C6 E92? ad 9@FCD @7 4@4<A:E G@:46 C64@C5:?8D 2?5 g_ 9@FCD @7 7=:89E 52E2]k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 E96 7:?2= E9C66 >:?FE6D 42AEFC65 :? E96 4@4<A:E :?4=F565 E96 4@\A:=@E EC2?D76CC:?8 4@?EC@= E@ E96 42AE2:? D:I D64@?5D 367@C6 E96 C64@C5:?8 6?565] %96 C62D@? 7@C E9:D H2D F?4=62C]Â k^Am
kAm%96 4@==:D:@? H2D {2vF2C5:2VD 7:CDE 72E2= 244:56?E D:?46 `hha] Â k^Am
kAm{@42E65 :? E96 3@C@F89 @7 "F66?D[ {2vF2C5:2 :D E96 E9:C5\3FD:6DE 2:CA@CE D6CG:?8 }6H *@C<[ 92?5=:?8 bb]d >:==:@? A2DD6?86CD :? a_ac[ 244@C5:?8 E@ A@CE 2FE9@C:EJ 7:8FC6D]k^Am
kAms625=J 2:C 4C2D96D :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D :? C646?E J62CD :?4=F56 2 4@==:D:@? 36EH66? 2 A2DD6?86C ;6E 2?5 2? 2C>J 96=:4@AE6C ?62C (2D9:?8E@? :? y2?F2CJ a_ad E92E <:==65 ef A6@A=6]k^Am
kAm3;E^;Dk^Am