An Air Canada Express jet hit a Port Authority fire truck after landing from Montreal late Sunday, sending more than 40 people to hospitals and triggering a federal investigation.
NEW YORK, N.Y. — A regional Air Canada jet struck a Port Authority fire truck while landing at LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night, killing the pilot and co-pilot, injuring dozens of other people and forcing the airport to close as federal investigators moved onto the runway.
The crash quickly became both a deadly aviation emergency and a major transportation disruption for New York. Officials said the plane had arrived from Montreal with 72 passengers and four crew members on board when it hit the airport rescue vehicle near the end of its landing roll. The National Transportation Safety Board took charge of the investigation, while airport and airline officials worked to account for passengers, treat the injured and sort out how a fire truck responding to another call ended up crossing the same runway.
Authorities said the collision happened at about 11:47 p.m. Sunday after Air Canada Flight 8646, operated by Jazz Aviation, landed on Runway 4 at LaGuardia. Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia said the aircraft had just arrived from Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport when it struck an Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle that had been sent to help with a separate problem elsewhere on the airfield. The first pictures from the runway showed a crushed cockpit, dangling cables and debris at the nose of the Bombardier CRJ-900, while the damaged fire truck lay on its side nearby. Garcia said all passengers were accounted for, including an unaccompanied minor who was later reunited with family. Officials said the two pilots, both based in Canada, were killed in the impact.
Officials said 41 people were taken to local hospitals after the crash. By Monday morning, Garcia said 32 had already been released, while several others remained hospitalized with serious injuries. Two injured Port Authority officers, identified only as a sergeant and an officer who had been in the truck, were listed in stable condition. The rest of the injured were passengers from the plane, officials said. Air Canada said the flight was being operated by Jazz Aviation on its behalf, a common arrangement on regional routes. Preliminary flight data cited by ABC News showed the aircraft was traveling between 93 and 105 mph at the time of the ground collision. Officials did not immediately say whether the pilots had any chance to avoid the truck once it crossed the runway, and investigators had not publicly identified any mechanical issue with the aircraft.
Much of the early focus shifted to the sequence of air traffic control instructions in the minutes before the crash. According to officials and recordings of radio traffic, the fire truck had requested permission to cross Runway 4 at taxiway Delta while responding to a report of an odor aboard a United Airlines flight. Garcia said the truck had been moving to that separate incident when the collision occurred. Audio reviewed by multiple news outlets captured a controller telling the vehicle, “Stop, Truck 1. Stop,” just before impact. In another transmission later, a controller appeared to say, “We were dealing with an emergency earlier. I messed up.” Investigators are expected to review those communications, controller staffing, vehicle movement procedures and any runway warning systems that may have been active at the time. Officials have not said whether more than one safety layer failed.
The crash also renewed attention on LaGuardia’s heavy traffic and tight operating environment. The airport is one of the busiest in the country and a critical short-haul hub for the New York region. Its closure rippled through Monday’s flight schedule, with travelers facing cancellations, diversions and rebooking lines inside the terminals. Major airlines waived rebooking fees and issued travel alerts as operations stalled. Some traffic was diverted to Newark Liberty International Airport, where another problem briefly complicated the region’s air system after controllers evacuated the tower Monday morning because of a burning smell. The LaGuardia shutdown came during a crowded spring break travel period, turning an already tense airport day into a broader regional slowdown.
Passengers and witnesses described a confused and grim scene as emergency crews rushed onto the field. Arturo Davidson, a traveler whose Miami-bound flight had been on the tarmac, said fellow passengers saw the collision and its aftermath before they were told the airport was shutting down. Outside the terminal, departure boards filled with cancellations as stranded travelers tried to guess whether flights would resume by afternoon. Garcia said officials were focused on victims and families as investigators preserved the scene. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state was thinking of the victims, their families and everyone affected. Air Canada also issued condolences and said it was cooperating with authorities while working to support passengers and crew members tied to the flight.
The airport was ordered closed until at least 2 p.m. Monday as investigators examined the wreckage, runway markings, vehicle path and radio traffic. By midday, the central questions remained the same: who was cleared to move, when those clearances were issued and why the final warning came too late to prevent the impact.
Author note: Last updated March 23, 2026.