Latest / Aviator Daily Briefing / Aviator Daily Briefing — Wednesday, March 25th, 2026
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- Aviator Daily Briefing — Wednesday, March 25th, 2026 [Weather] Here's a look at weather across the nation today. In the East Coast, New York is looking at overcast with a high of 52 and a low of 33. In the Central U.S., Chicago is looking at overcast with a high of 71 and a low of 34. In the West Coast, Los Angeles is looking at foggy with a high of 77 and a low of 58. [Today's Top Stories] • Two Pilots Killed in LaGuardia Runway Collision Between Air Canada Jet, Fire Truck • NASA X-59 Returns Early From Second Flight After Cockpit Warning • Cessna Citation Test Flights Continue at Wichita Airport Two Pilots Killed in LaGuardia Runway Collision Between Air Canada Jet, Fire Truck NEW YORK — Two pilots were killed and dozens injured when an Air Canada Express flight collided with a Port Authority fire truck during landing at LaGuardia Airport on March 22, 2026. Air Canada Express Flight 8646, a Bombardier CRJ-900 operated by Jazz Aviation LP, struck the emergency vehicle on Runway 4 at approximately 11:40 p.m. while landing from Montreal. The collision killed both the pilot and co-pilot, while injuring passengers, flight crew and two Port Authority first responders. The National Transportation Safety Board has identified multiple system failures that contributed to the accident. A runway safety system failed to sound an alarm before impact, eliminating a critical collision warning. Air traffic controllers cleared the fire truck to cross Runway 4 just 12-30 seconds before touchdown, according to cockpit voice recorder data. The fire truck lacked a functioning transponder, leaving controllers with only a generic radar blip rather than specific identification data. Additionally, only two air traffic controllers were on duty during the overnight shift, raising questions about adequate staffing levels at one of the nation's busiest airports. The NTSB is leading the investigation with assistance from Canadian authorities. Investigators have recovered the aircraft's flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, though some witness accounts remain conflicting. The incident highlights ongoing concerns about air traffic control safety, following warnings from aviation experts in 2023 about the inevitability of such accidents due to ATC staffing shortages. NASA X-59 Returns Early From Second Flight After Cockpit Warning EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — NASA's X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft completed its second flight March 20, though the sortie ended after approximately nine minutes when a cockpit warning prompted an early return to Edwards Air Force Base. Test pilot Jim Less followed established procedures after noticing a vehicle system indicator during the morning flight, officials said. The precautionary landing was executed safely with no safety concerns for the aircraft or pilot. NASA officials emphasized the incident won't impact the broader Quesst test campaign. Associate Administrator Bob Pearce said the team made the correct decision to return immediately, while Project Manager Cathy Bahm noted valuable data was still collected on handling and braking systems despite the shortened flight. The X-59, developed with Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works, aims to enable civilian supersonic flight over land by reducing sonic booms to quiet thumps. The original flight plan called for expanding the envelope to 260 mph at 20,000 feet. NASA plans dozens of test flights throughout 2026 to validate performance before beginning regulatory review for commercial supersonic aviation. Cessna Citation Test Flights Continue at Wichita Airport WICHITA, Kan. — Multiple Cessna Citation test flights were conducted near Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport on March 22, with tracking data confirming activity involving private Citation M2 models as part of Textron Aviation's ongoing fleet upgrade program. The flights included a private Cessna Citation M2 with registrations N525US and N525BD (MSN 525-1407) operating local test routes from ICT. This activity followed similar M2 test flights for the same aircraft on March 21, indicating routine pre-delivery testing at Textron Aviation's primary test facility in Wichita. The test flights align with recent avionics upgrades across Citation models, including the M2, CJ3 and CJ4, which are receiving Gen3 avionics featuring Garmin G3000 systems. The CJ3 and M2 variants include Autoland capabilities, with service entry targeted for 2026-2027. The CJ4 Gen3 variant, utilizing G3000 Prime avionics, completed its first flight in October 2025. No incidents were reported from the March 22 operations. You can get the latest aviation news at https://aviatordb.com