A passenger plane collided with a firefighting vehicle on the runway at LaGuardia Airport late Sunday, killing two pilots and injuring dozens, authorities reported.
The Air Canada Express flight, operated by Jazz Aviation, had arrived from Montreal and was completing its landing when it struck the emergency truck shortly after 11:30 p.m. The aircraft carried 72 passengers and four crew members. Officials confirmed that the pilot and co-pilot died in the crash, while more than 40 people were taken to hospitals with injuries; most have since been discharged.
Two Port Authority police officers aboard the fire truck sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The vehicle had been responding to a separate incident involving another aircraft that reported an onboard odor.
Audio recordings captured the moments leading up to the collision, revealing confusion on the runway. Air traffic controllers repeatedly instructed the truck to stop, urgently calling, “Stop, stop, stop… Truck 1, stop.” Shortly after the impact, a controller acknowledged the situation and directed emergency responders to the scene.
Witnesses described the crash as sudden and severe, with one observer noting it appeared “like the plane got cut in half.” The incident prompted a full ground stop at LaGuardia, causing widespread cancellations and delays. The airport remained closed for hours as emergency crews responded.
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration have launched inquiries into the cause of the collision. Preliminary assessments suggest a possible breakdown in coordination between air traffic control units managing runway and ground movements.
A former transportation official characterized the incident as a “clear error,” emphasizing that proper coordination should have prevented a vehicle from entering an active runway during a landing. The investigation remains ongoing.
