Two pilots were killed and many others were injured when an Air Canada plane crashed into a fire truck on Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport in New York on Sunday. But even more lives could have been lost — including that of veteran flight attendant Solange Tremblay. She was ejected from her seat during the crash, and her daughter now describes her survival as nothing short of a miracle.
A total of 72 passengers and four crew members were on board Air Canada Jazz Flight 8646 from Montreal to LaGuardia when tragedy struck. The plane collided with a fire truck, killing both the pilot and co‑pilot. According to the latest reports, at least 41 people were taken to nearby hospitals.
“The pilot and co‑pilot of the Jazz Aviation flight were pronounced deceased,” a Port Authority spokesperson told People magazine. “Additionally, 41 people were transported to the hospital — 39 from the aircraft and two ARFF officers.”
On Monday, Air Canada released a statement: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of two Jazz employees, and our deepest condolences go out to the entire Jazz community and their families.”
Flight attendant ejected during fatal crash found alive, still strapped to seat
One of those hospitalized after the devastating crash was longtime flight attendant Solange Tremblay.
She had worked for Air Canada Jazz for 26 years, and her survival is being called a “miracle” by her daughter.
Speaking to Quebec’s TVA News, her daughter, Sarah Lépine, explained that Solange’s seat had been ejected from the aircraft. She was found more than 100 meters away — still strapped into it.
“It’s a complete miracle. At the moment of impact, her seat was ejected more than 100 metres from the plane. They found her and she was still strapped into her seat,” Sarah said, adding that her mother suffered multiple bone fractures and underwent surgery for a broken leg.
“She had a guardian angel watching over her. It could have been much worse,” she added.
“Miracle”
How such a thing could happen remains a key question. In an interview with The Independent, aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti described the flight attendant’s survival as “extraordinary,” especially given the destruction to the nose of the aircraft.
“The flight attendant’s seat is kind of a jump seat that folds down and is bolted to the wall — the same wall that the cockpit utilizes,” said Guzzetti, a former federal crash investigator.
“It’s a very robust seat,” he continued. “It’s designed to withstand probably more crash loads than passenger seats because you need the flight attendant to help passengers get out of an airplane after a crash.”