A routine landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport turned into a deadly tragedy late Sunday night when an Air Canada-operated passenger jet collided with an emergency vehicle on the runway, killing both pilots on board.
According to reports, the aircraft, operated by Jazz Aviation under the Air Canada Express banner, had just completed its landing and was moving at approximately 30 mph when it struck a Port Authority aircraft rescue and firefighting truck around 11:40 p.m. The vehicle had been deployed in response to a separate incident on the airfield.
The impact proved catastrophic for the cockpit crew. The pilot and co-pilot were killed, while two officers inside the emergency vehicle, a sergeant and another officer, sustained fractures but are reported to be in stable condition at a nearby hospital. No other serious injuries have been confirmed among passengers or crew.
The flight, identified as Air Canada Express Flight 8646 from Montreal, was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members, though officials caution that these figures are based on preliminary manifests.
Dramatic visuals circulating online show the aircraft halted on the runway with visible damage to its forward underside, the nose section appearing severely compromised from the collision.
Authorities swiftly shut down LaGuardia Airport following the crash, triggering a ground stop and widespread disruption as emergency protocols were activated.
The Federal Aviation Administration has confirmed that the aircraft involved was a Bombardier CRJ-900 twin-engine regional jet and has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident. Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board is dispatching a “go team” to the site to conduct a detailed probe into what led to the fatal runway collision.
As investigators begin piecing together the sequence of events, the focus is expected to centre on runway coordination, visibility conditions, and communication between ground vehicles and incoming aircraft, factors critical to preventing such rare but devastating accidents.
