US investigators confirmed an electronic system failure at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Sunday prevented air traffic controllers from detecting an imminent collision between an Air Canada Express aircraft and a fire engine, killing two pilots and injuring 40 others. The Airport Surface Detection Equipment (ASDE) system did not trigger an alert due to merging vehicles near the runway, while the fire engine lacked a transponder, rendering it undetectable. Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, emphasized that the incident highlighted systemic risks, including chronic controller shortages and overlapping duties during overnight shifts.