LaGuardia Airport Crash: Pilots Killed in Air Canada Plane Collision

Two pilots were killed late Sunday when an Air Canada Express plane collided with a firefighting vehicle on the runway at LaGuardia Airport in Fresh York City, officials confirmed. The crash resulted in 41 people being transported to local hospitals, though most have since been discharged.

The incident occurred after the Air Canada Express CRJ 900, operating as Jazz Aviation flight AC8646 from Montreal, had landed, according to Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia. The aircraft struck a rescue and firefighting vehicle operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The fire truck was responding to a separate, unrelated incident involving a United Airlines aircraft that had reported “an issue with odour,” Garcia stated during a news briefing.

Both pilots aboard the Air Canada flight died as a result of the collision. Forty-one individuals were taken to area hospitals; as of Monday morning, nine remained hospitalized, some with serious injuries. Two Port Authority employees who were inside the firefighting vehicle sustained injuries that were not considered life-threatening, and were able to communicate with officials, according to Garcia. She added that both were visited by herself and the Port Authority chairman, and their families were being notified.

Video footage circulating on social media depicts the Air Canada plane with its nose upturned, resting on the runway. The aircraft sustained significant damage. The flight was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members.

LaGuardia Airport was closed following the crash and is expected to remain so until at least 2 p.m. Local time on Monday, March 23, to allow for a full investigation. All arrivals and departures have been cancelled or delayed, impacting numerous airlines including American, Delta, Southwest, United, and Air Canada. Hundreds of flights have been affected.

Air traffic audio recordings released by authorities reveal a controller stating, “I messed up,” immediately after the collision. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has grounded all planes at the airport as part of the investigation.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation into the cause of the crash. Garcia deferred detailed questions about the sequence of events to the NTSB.