LaGuardia Airport was shut after an Air Canada regional jet collided with a Port Authority fire truck on a runway late Sunday night, killing the pilot and copilot and injuring passengers, crew and firefighters as officials scrambled to secure the scene and begin an investigation.
The collision happened during a landing at LaGuardia and forced the airport to close while emergency teams responded. Early reports say the pilot and co-pilot were killed in the crash, and multiple people were injured, including firefighters who were on the truck. The plane was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members when the impact occurred.
Firefighters who were aboard the truck suffered injuries that were not initially believed to be life-threatening, officials said. The truck had been responding to another aircraft that had aborted takeoff after reporting an unusual smell in the cabin, according to preliminary accounts.
Two people were killed and several others badly hurt when an Air Canada regional jet struck a fire truck on a runway while landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night, officials said.
The pilot and copilot were killed in the collision, which crushed the nose of the aircraft, while 39 passengers and crew members were taken to area hospitals, some with serious injuries. Most have since been released from treatment, authorities said Monday.
Two Port Authority employees who were traveling in the fire truck also suffered injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, said Kathryn Garcia, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport.
The pilot and copilot were both based out of Canada, Garcia said during a news conference early Monday.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have opened investigations into the incident, and LaGuardia remains closed as crews work and investigators gather evidence. Officials stressed the scene must be secured to allow thorough examinations of both the aircraft and the emergency vehicle.
Air Traffic Control recordings reportedly captured the moment controllers told the fire truck to stop on the runway, and that audio has been part of the public briefing and reporting on the crash. Investigators will analyze those communications alongside radar and flight data to piece together timeline and decision points.
Emergency response protocols were immediately activated. The Port Authority Police Department is on scene along with the agency’s Chairman and Executive Director. The airport is currently closed to facilitate the response and allow for a thorough investigation.
This is a developing situation based on preliminary information. The Port Authority Police Department is working closely with our airline partners as well as federal authorities and will provide additional updates as more details become available.
Officials noted there is more than one audio clip tied to the event, and additional Air Traffic Control recordings have been shared with investigators and media outlets. Those clips are expected to be central evidence as the NTSB reconstructs the sequence of instructions and movements on the runway that night.
Photos from the airport perimeter show significant damage to the front of the aircraft, with the nose area crushed and debris scattered across the runway surface. Emergency responders photographed and documented the scene for investigators before wreckage was moved and cleared.
Images also show the Port Authority fire truck was violently displaced by the impact and went off the runway, underscoring the force of the collision. That vehicle and the aircraft will both be inspected to look for mechanical or procedural failures that could explain how this occurred.
Port Authority officials held a news conference to outline initial casualty figures and the response effort, and the agency provided an update for families and the public.
“Initial numbers indicate that 41 passengers and crew were transported to the hospital as well as the ARFF [Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting] officers,” said Port Authority Head Kathryn Garcia. “At this time, we understand that 32 have been released. But there are also serious injuries. Sadly, the two pilots are confirmed deceased, and notifications are being made by Air Canada’s Care Team at this time. Families were directed to the Air Canada ticket counter to be reunited with their families and we understand that the one unaccompanied minor has been reunited with their family.”
“It has been anticipated that the airport will be closed until at least 2 p.m. this afternoon to facilitate the investigation by NTSB which has already begun to be on-stite,” Garcia said.
