LaGuardia Crash: Air Canada Express collides with fire truck, pilots killed
LaGuardia Crash: Air Canada Express collides with fire truck, pilots killed
Air Canada Express CRJ-900 hits a fire truck on landing at LaGuardia, killing both pilots and injuring several as the airport closes for investigation.
A regional Air Canada Express jet collided with a fire truck while landing at LaGuardia Airport late Monday, killing both pilots and injuring several passengers as the airport was forced to shut down. The complicating factor in the tragedy is that the firefighting vehicle was reportedly responding to a separate incident when the collision occurred. The Jazz Aviation-operated CRJ-900, carrying 72 passengers and four crew, originated from Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport before the flight ended in disaster on the runway. The incident immediately raised questions about runway safety and ground operations during busy traffic times.
Authorities indicated that the fire and police vehicle involved was on the move under normal emergency protocols, but air traffic communications captured moments where a controller instructed the vehicle to stop and then diverted oncoming aircraft away from the affected area. The precise sequence is part of the ongoing investigation, but the recordings already point to a complex interaction between ground vehicles and arriving planes. Jazz Aviation, owned by Chorus Aviation, operates the plane for Air Canada Express. The aircraft’s nose suffered significant damage as it remain tilted on the runway after the impact.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey confirmed the pilots were based in Canada and that both were killed. Nine people were hospitalized, though initial reports described dozens of injuries as responders worked to evacuate passengers via stairways. The airport will be closed through the night, with a tentative reopening around 2 pm ET as the National Transportation Safety Board investigates the accident site. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy offered condolences and said federal investigators would assist with the inquiry.
Officials emphasized that the tragedy is a reminder of the dangers that can arise when ground emergency vehicles operate on active runways, and stressed the importance of a thorough, transparent investigation to determine how such a collision could occur and what safety measures may prevent a repeat in the future.
