Online Reporter
An Air Canada Express (AC.TO) jet collided with a fire truck while landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport late on Sunday, killing both pilots, injuring dozens and forcing the closure of the facility, authorities said.
The Air Canada Express CRJ-900 aircraft, operated by regional partner Jazz Aviation, was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members. The flight had departed from Montreal, according to Jazz, which is owned by Chorus Aviation (CHR.TO). Jazz and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey confirmed that the pilot and first officer were killed.
The crash comes as the United States aviation sector faces chronic shortages of air traffic controllers, alongside a separate shortfall of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers due to a partial government shutdown. The situation has led to delays, long security lines and heightened safety concerns at airports nationwide.
A separate 35-minute ground stop at nearby Newark Liberty International Airport on Monday morning added to delays after air traffic controllers evacuated their tower due to a burning smell from an elevator, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.
“Today is an incredibly difficult day for our airline, our employees, and most importantly, the families and loved ones of those affected by the accident involving flight 8646,” said Jazz President Doug Clarke.
Nine seriously injured in hospital
Kathryn Garcia, executive director of the Port Authority, said 32 of the 41 injured had been treated and released, while nine remained in hospital with serious injuries.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at least two Port Authority firefighters sustained serious injuries.
Aviation safety experts said investigators would examine air traffic control staffing levels, as well as the actions of both the controller and the fire truck crew.
“The Air Canada jet was obviously cleared to land and from the radio transmissions, it appears that the airport rescue and firefighting vehicle was also cleared. There are a lot of questions now regarding the communications,” said U.S. safety expert Anthony Brickhouse. “Communication is going to be a major part of this investigation.”
Air crash investigations typically find that accidents result from multiple contributing factors rather than a single cause.
Fire truck was cleared to cross runway
Garcia said the fire truck was responding to a separate United Airlines aircraft that had reported an issue with an odour on board. United, along with unions representing U.S. air traffic controllers and Air Canada pilots, declined to comment.
Minutes earlier, air traffic control audio from LiveATC.net indicated that a United flight had declared an emergency due to an odour onboard. Controllers advised the crew that fire trucks were already on site.
A later transmission captured a fire truck being cleared to cross Runway 4 at taxiway “Delta”, where the collision occurred.
Moments later, according to the audio, a controller was heard saying: “Stop, stop, stop, truck 1 stop, truck 1, stop.”
The aircraft struck the fire vehicle at a speed of about 24 miles per hour (39 km/h), according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24, which last recorded data at 11:37 p.m. ET (0337 GMT).
Photos taken after the accident showed visible damage to the nose of the plane, which was tilted upward.
Two unnamed passengers told ABC affiliate WABC of the shock onboard, with one describing a friend suffering a broken nose and others hitting their heads on the seats ahead.
Flights cancelled, delays expected
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it was deploying a team of experts to investigate the incident, while Canada’s Transportation Safety Board said it would also send a team to assist.
The FAA said the airport was expected to remain closed until 2 p.m. ET (1800 GMT) on Monday.
Air Canada said its teams, along with those from Jazz Aviation, were heading to the site.
The closure of one of New York’s busiest airports is expected to worsen travel disruption. Absences among transportation security workers have increased, resulting in long queues at major U.S. airports.
On Monday, hundreds of ICE agents were deployed to airports to help fill TSA staffing gaps.
About 546 flights had been cancelled at LaGuardia by Monday, according to FlightAware.
LaGuardia served more than 30 million passengers in 2025, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Recent incidents pressure aviation system
The FAA recorded 97 runway incursions in January this year, compared with 133 during the same period last year.
Last month, a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers proposed legislation to address 50 aviation safety recommendations following a year-long investigation into the January 2025 collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people.
In another incident last year, a UPS cargo plane crashed shortly after takeoff in Louisville, Kentucky, killing seven people and injuring 11 on the ground.
Canadian Transport Minister Steve MacKinnon said the government was working closely with U.S. authorities as they investigate the incident.
– Reuters
