Transponders to be installed on New York area airport ground vehicles following deadly collision

Transponders that might have helped pinpoint the location of a fire truck that collided with a landing Air Canada jet in New York will soon be installed on ground vehicles at the region's three major airports.

The trackers will be put on fire trucks and other rescue vehicles, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said Tuesday. The transponders can provide air traffic controllers with more precise information about the vehicles and their locations by constantly sending signals to the control tower.

The National Transportation Safety Board noted the lack of transponders in a preliminary report it issued last week about the March 22 accident at LaGuardia Airport. An Air Canada jet collided with a fire truck on the runway, killing two pilots and injuring several other people.

An air traffic controller had cleared the vehicle to cross the runway. According to the report, the truck drove past red warning lights. There was also extra heavy air traffic and an emergency involving another plane at the time.

LaGuardia is one of 35 airports that have Airport Surface Detection Systems, known as ASDE-X. They combine radar data with information from transponders inside planes and ground vehicles along with other data to create a display in the tower showing controllers where every plane and vehicle is. The system will also sound an alarm in the tower when it anticipates a potential collision.

The Federal Aviation Administration has recommended that major airports nationwide install the transponders and has offered to help pay for them. Many airports have followed the guidance.

James Allen, the Port Authority's chief communications officer, said the agency has made “targeted investments in safety technology” for its airfield vehicles, including systems designed to track vehicle movements and support operator awareness across the airfield. Besides LaGuardia, the authority operates Kennedy Airport in New York and Newark Liberty Airport in northern New Jersey.

“We recognize that transponder technology can provide an additional layer of visibility on top of existing surface-surveillance systems that already track ground movements," Allen said. ”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.”