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Long wait times to get through security lines amid the partial government shutdown slowed down investigators' response to the deadly Air Canada crash at LaGuardia Airport, according to the top official at the National Transportation Safety Board.The Air Canada passenger jet crashed into a fire truck while landing late the evening of March 22, killing both pilots, injuring dozens of people on board and shutting down the busy airport.It came amid an ongoing partial government shutdown that has seen the greatest impacts within the Transportation Security Administration, as employees are working without pay and many have quit or not shown up to work. Travelers have reported waiting in security lines for hours in lines that extended outside terminals.NTSB investigators began arriving at the scene within hours of the crash early in the morning on March 23, but at least one was caught up in the security delay, said the agency's chief, Jennifer Homendy."We have our air traffic control specialist who was in line with TSA for three hours until we called in Houston to beg to see if we can get her through so we can get her here," Homendy said. "So it's been a really big challenge to get the entire team here."Homendy said investigators would continue arriving at LaGuardia through at least the early morning hours of March 24.The runway where the crash took place will be closed for days, officials have said. The closure will add delays to the woes facing travelers while the shutdown continues more than five weeks since a funding impasse along partisan lines began.This week, President Donald Trump sent federal immigration officers to some airports, despite concerns that they don't have the proper training to perform TSA tasks.
