New York, United States: A tragic runway collision at New York’s LaGuardia Airport killed two pilots and injured 41 people after an Air Canada Express regional jet struck a firefighting vehicle during landing late Sunday night, authorities said.
The aircraft, a Bombardier CRJ-900LR operated by Jazz Aviation under Air Canada Express Flight 8646, was arriving from Montréal Trudeau International Airport with 72 passengers and 4 crew members on board, according to airport officials and preliminary aviation data.
The Air Canada Express CRJ-900 plane, operated by its regional partner Jazz Aviation, was carrying 76 onboard from Montreal, Canada, said Kathryn Garcia, the executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Jazz is owned by Chorus Aviation.
Garcia said 32 of the 41 injured had been released, while nine remained in hospital with “serious injuries.” Those injured included passengers, crew members and the two officers aboard the fire truck; both officers remained hospitalised with non-life-threatening injuries
The incident occurred at approximately 11:37–11:40 p.m. ET on March 22, when the aircraft was in its landing rollout on Runway 4. At the same time, a Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) truck entered the active runway while responding to a separate emergency involving another aircraft on the ground.
According to preliminary air traffic control information, the fire truck had been cleared to cross the runway, but controllers issued urgent stop instructions moments before the collision. Despite the warning, the aircraft struck the vehicle at an estimated speed of about 39 km/h (24 mph).
The impact caused severe destruction to the aircraft’s nose section and cockpit, resulting in the immediate deaths of both the captain and first officer. The fire truck overturned following the collision, with two firefighters on board sustaining injuries.
Passengers were evacuated using emergency slides and ground assistance as emergency crews rushed to the scene.
LaGuardia Airport was immediately shut down following the accident, with the Federal Aviation Administration imposing a full ground stop. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has opened a formal investigation, focusing on runway incursion procedures, coordination between air traffic control and ground vehicles, and timing of emergency clearance instructions. The FAA and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey are also assisting in the probe.
Preliminary reports indicate that the firefighting vehicle was responding to a separate incident involving a United Airlines aircraft reporting a technical issue on the ground. The complexity of simultaneous runway operations is now a key focus of investigators.
