India, March 24 -- A deadly collision at LaGuardia Airport could have resulted in far greater loss of life, but an aviation expert says "pure luck" helped limit the damage.

An Air Canada Express jet struck a Port Authority fire truck while landing late Sunday night, killing two pilots and injuring dozens onboard and on the ground. However, the specific point of impact played a critical role in preventing a catastrophic fire.

Former Federal Aviation Administration safety inspector David Soucie told CNN that the aircraft hit "directly in the middle of the fire truck," which pushed the vehicle forward and confined most of the damage to the plane's nose.

According to Soucie, a slight difference in positioning could have dramatically change...