The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey says it will install transponders on fire trucks and other rescue vehicles at its three major airports following the March 22 runway collision at LaGuardia Airport that killed two Jazz Aviation pilots operating a flight for Air Canada Express.
“We recognize that transponder technology can provide an additional layer of visibility on top of existing surface-surveillance systems that already track ground movements,” James Allen, the Port Authority’s chief communications officer, said in a statement reported by the Associated Press. “We will continue to work closely with the NTSB as its investigation proceeds and remain focused on working with the FAA to strengthen safety across our airfield operations.”
The NTSB said in its preliminary report on the accident that the truck involved in the LaGuardia collision was not equipped with a transponder. Because the vehicle did not have a transponder and was moving with a larger group of vehicles, the airport’s surface-detection system unable to match the aircraft’s path with the vehicle’s path.
LaGuardia is equipped with ASDE-X, which combines radar, transponder and other data to help controllers monitor aircraft and vehicles on the airport surface.
