NEW YORK, NY – Two pilots were killed and dozens of people were injured when an Air Canada regional jet struck a Port Authority rescue-and-firefighting vehicle on the ground at LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night. The front of the aircraft was badly damaged in the collision, which happened after the plane landed from Montreal.
Officials said at least 43 people were taken to hospitals after the crash. Two Port Authority officers were among the injured, and all passengers were later accounted for. An unaccompanied minor on board was reunited with family members, according to airport officials.
The airport closed after the incident and reopened Monday afternoon, though operations were restarting slowly. Federal officials said delays and cancellations were expected as airlines and the airport worked through the disruption.
Crash happened moments after landing from Montreal
Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia said the aircraft had just touched down as Air Canada Flight 8646 completed its trip from Montreal. The plane was carrying four crew members and 72 passengers when the collision happened around 11:45 p.m. Sunday.
The jet was operated by Jazz Aviation. It hit the emergency vehicle on the airport surface, and officials said the impact destroyed the front section of the plane. The pilots were killed in the crash, while the rest of those on board survived.
Garcia said the crash was the airport’s first fatal incident in three decades. The timing also placed it 34 years to the day since the last fatal event at LaGuardia, according to federal officials.
Fire truck was responding to a separate runway incident
Federal Aviation Administrator Bryan Bedford said the Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle had been sent to respond to another aircraft that had aborted a takeoff. The vehicle had asked for permission to cross Runway 4 at taxiway Delta and was cleared by air traffic control, according to audio recordings.
Those recordings also captured an air traffic controller telling the vehicle to stop several times just before the collision. Bedford said conditions included mist and fog at the time of the crash.
FlightRadar24 told ABC News that preliminary data showed the Air Canada jet was traveling between 93 and 105 mph when it hit the truck. Officials have not released additional details about why the aircraft and vehicle were in the same area at the same time.
Hospitals treated 43 people and airport officers were hurt
At least 43 people were taken to hospitals after the crash, authorities said. The list of injuries included two Port Authority officers, but officials did not immediately give a full breakdown of how many people were seriously hurt.
Garcia said all passengers had been accounted for after the collision. The fact that no passengers remained missing brought some relief as emergency crews worked through the wreckage and airport officials tried to restore normal operations.
Air Canada chief executive Michael Rousseau said the airline’s immediate focus was on supporting passengers, crew members and their families. He also said investigators were still gathering facts and that many questions remained unanswered in the early hours after the crash.
LaGuardia reopened with one runway still closed
LaGuardia reopened at 2 p.m. Monday, but the FAA said the airport would continue operating with only a single runway while crews and investigators worked at the scene. Travelers were warned to expect delays and cancellations as service resumed gradually.
The runway where the collision happened is expected to remain closed until 7 a.m. ET Friday, according to an FAA notice. That restriction means the airport’s recovery will take longer than a normal overnight disruption, especially at one of the region’s busiest hubs.
When the airport shut down, major airlines waived rebooking fees and issued travel alerts for disrupted passengers. The closure affected flights arriving and departing through one of New York City’s key air travel gateways.
Investigators from the NTSB, FAA and Canada are reviewing the crash
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation because the collision happened in the United States, while Canadian officials are also expected to participate because the aircraft was operated by a Canadian carrier. Teams from Air Canada and Jazz Aviation went to LaGuardia as the review got underway.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the NTSB would investigate the cause of the accident and vowed that officials would not stop until the work was finished. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said LaGuardia’s air traffic control staffing was well supported, with 33 certified controllers and seven in training, though he did not say how many were working Sunday night.
Air Canada and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney both described the crash as deeply saddening. Carney said Canadian officials were working closely with U.S. counterparts on the ground as the investigation continued.
Airport tragedy comes amid scrutiny of staffing and nighttime conditions
The crash has drawn attention because it came during poor visibility and at a time when runway and ground traffic were both active. Officials have not said what role, if any, staffing levels or the fog played in the collision.
Bedford said the airport is staffed by 33 certified controllers, with seven more in training, and the target is 37. He said the facility is “very well-staffed,” while also acknowledging that the full sequence of events still needs to be reconstructed by investigators.
For now, airport crews are focused on reopening capacity and investigators are focused on the cause. The dead are the two pilots aboard the Air Canada jet, while dozens of others are recovering from injuries sustained in the crash.
