A veteran Air Canada flight attendant, Solange Tremblay, survived being ejected from her jump seat during a deadly runway collision involving an Air Canada Express regional jet at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on March 22, officials and family reports confirm.
The crash occurred when the Bombardier CRJ-900 regional jet, operating as Jazz Aviation Flight 8646, collided with a Port Authority fire truck while landing on Runway 4. The accident killed both pilots and injured dozens of passengers and emergency responders. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) continues to investigate the incident.
Tremblay was found alive on the tarmac still strapped into her jump seat, a reinforced seating position used by flight attendants, according to her daughter, Sarah Lepine. Lepine shared a hospital photo and details of her mother’s critical injuries in a public fundraising campaign.
“My mom was conscious for all of this and has sustained severe injuries from this event. She continues to fight and recover at a hospital in New York,” Lepine wrote on GoFundMe.
Among the injuries, Tremblay suffers from two open fractures in her legs requiring multiple surgeries with metal plates. She also has a fractured spine and is awaiting surgical evaluation. Further operations are anticipated during her recovery, which is complicated by concerns over possible infection.
The fundraiser collected over $133,000 from more than 2,200 donors as of March 29 to assist with medical costs and recovery expenses during her extended hospitalization in New York.
Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti noted that the flight attendant’s jump seat is robustly designed to withstand crash impacts. “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,” Guzzetti said, calling Tremblay’s survival “a total miracle” given the damage sustained by the aircraft’s nose.
Why it matters
The crash resulted in two fatalities and numerous injuries, prompting operational shutdowns and investigation at a major U.S. airport. Tremblay’s survival highlights the critical safety role and resilience of flight attendant seating design during accidents. Her continuing medical challenges underscore the human consequences of such aviation incidents.
Background
The collision between an Air Canada Express jet and a fire truck occurred as the plane landed at LaGuardia, sparking an emergency ground stop affecting airport operations. The NTSB is reviewing conflicting information regarding ground control communications and procedures leading up to the crash.
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