Tampa International Airport uses more up-to-date software to prevent ground crashes

TAMPA, Fla. - An on the ground crash at LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night killed two and hospitalized more than 40 people.

What we know:

An Air Canada jet struck a firetruck, causing the crash and shutting down the airport until Monday afternoon. This crash led people to question how this could happen and what steps will be taken to improve safety.

READ MORE: LaGuardia latest: 2 dead, 40+ injured after Air Canada jet collision

Here in Tampa, TPA has updated technology that helps air traffic controllers better manage on the ground traffic.

This is part of an FAA push to improve on the ground safety for planes for the last few years.

TPA was one of the first to get this updated equipment called Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B). It is a GPS-based system which allows air traffic controllers to have a more up-to-date image of where planes and other vehicles are on the ground.

What they're saying:

"It gives us better situational awareness, said Terry Henry, a former airline pilot. "It enables the, not only the pilots in the airplane, but also ground controllers to be able to witness and see any conflicting traffic or anything that could be conflicting in the near future."

Henry said it is difficult to understand everything that is around you on the ground without assistance.

"We do have problems on runways with not just fire trucks or cars or maintenance vehicles like grass-cutting equipment or painting or any other kind of resurfacing going on, but also wildlife is an issue too at airports," Henry said.

Big picture view:

This new system is part of the "Surface Awareness Initiative."

There are airports that do not have this new system, including LaGuardia.

Their air traffic controllers rely on "Airport Surface Detection Equipment, Model X," which is an older radar-based system.

"What a lot of airports have, they have this ability for ground surface radar to detect the movement of all aircraft on the ground, not just aircraft, but vehicles on the ground," Henry said.

Henry said constant low staffing issues for air traffic controllers likely played a part in the LaGuardia crash.

READ: Flight attendant survives after being ejected from plane in LaGuardia Airport crash

"I don't want to jump the gun, but it sounds like what has happened is because of a staffing issue that's going on around a lot of the airports in the United States is that we're seeing a miscommunication or breakdown communication between the active controller, and that's the controller who's running the runway, versus the ground controller who is coordinating traffic," Henry said.

A TPA representative said its airfield operational vehicles use the new technology but could not confirm if Tampa Fire and Rescue vehicles utilize this new system.

And a representative for the fire department did not respond to our request for comment.

Tampa adopted this new technology in 2024.

TPA is now a testing site for newer 4D technology called Li-DAR which has the same goal.

This system tracks tarmac operations and "underwing" events with high precision.