Solange Tremblay, a veteran Canadian flight attendant with more than 25 years of experience, was seriously injured when an Air Canada Express plane crashed at LaGuardia Airport in New York last week.
The accident killed both pilots and injured dozens, but Tremblay’s survival surprised many because of how she was found after the accident.Tremblay was working aboard Air Canada Jazz Flight 8646, flying from Montreal to New York with 72 passengers and four crew members on board, when the plane collided with a Port Authority fire truck during landing. The collision occurred on the runway and the nose of the plane was crushed upon impact.
Witnesses and emergency workers were stunned when Tremblay was discovered more than 320 feet from the wreckage, still strapped to her seat on the runway. Her daughter, Sarah Libin, described her survival as a “miracle.” Tremblay remained conscious during and after the accident.Tremblay suffered several serious injuries. Her legs were badly broken and required metal plates, her spine was broken, and she lost a lot of skin on her legs, which will need grafting.
She also required a blood transfusion during initial treatment.Photos shared by her family show her in a hospital bed as she begins what is expected to be a long period of recovery. A GoFundMe campaign set up by her daughter raised money to support the costs of medical care, surgery and rehabilitation.The accident at LaGuardia sparked an investigation by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Canadian authorities to determine how the fire truck reached the runway as the plane was landing. The accident led to the temporary closure of the airport and raised questions about runway safety procedures.The pilots, Antoine Forrest and Mackenzie Gunter, were killed in the crash.
