Two pilots were killed and dozens of passengers were injured after an Air Canada regional jet collided with a fire truck while landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night.
Authorities said the aircraft, carrying 76 people, had just arrived from Montreal when it touched down and struck a Port Authority aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle on the runway.
Kathryn Garcia, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, confirmed that all 72 passengers and four crew members on board the plane were accounted for.
“Sadly, the two pilots are confirmed deceased and notifications are being made by Air Canada’s care team at this time,” Garcia said during a news conference early Monday. Both pilots were based in Canada.
Emergency crews transported 41 people from the plane to hospitals in Queens. Garcia said 32 of those patients were later discharged, while nine remained hospitalized, including several reported to be in serious condition.
Two Port Authority employees who were traveling in the fire truck also suffered injuries, though officials said their wounds were not life-threatening.
The crash occurred as the aircraft, identified as a Bombardier CRJ900 operated under the Air Canada Express brand, landed after departing from Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.
Officials said the fire truck had been responding to a separate emergency involving a United Airlines flight that aborted its takeoff after reporting a strange odor onboard.
Images from the crash site showed the damaged jet sitting on the runway surrounded by emergency vehicles under portable floodlights. The aircraft’s nose was severely crumpled and the cockpit area appeared torn open back to the first passenger window, exposing internal wiring and flight controls.
Nearby, a neon yellow airport fire truck lay on its side after the collision.
Passengers were evacuated using mobile stairways positioned at the aircraft’s emergency exits.
Audio from air traffic control recordings suggested controllers were managing multiple emergencies at the time. In one transmission, a controller could be heard urgently trying to halt a vehicle on the runway.
“Stop, Truck 1. Stop,” the controller said before directing incoming aircraft away from landing.
Moments later, the collision occurred.
The Bombardier CRJ900 involved in the incident is a regional jet designed for short- to medium-haul routes and typically carries between 50 and 100 passengers. The aircraft features two rear-mounted engines and a distinctive T-shaped tail.
The National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation into the incident and is expected to examine runway coordination and air traffic control communications.
LaGuardia Airport remained closed early Monday while investigators examined the crash site, with officials saying operations would be suspended until at least 2 p.m.
The disruption forced many travelers to rebook flights or seek departures from other airports, including Long Island MacArthur Airport.
Canadian Transport Minister Steven McKinnon said Canada is working closely with U.S. authorities as the investigation unfolds.
“Aviation safety remains our highest priority,” he said in a statement posted on social media.