Deadly Runway Crash at LaGuardia: Air Canada Jet Slams into Fire Truck, Killing Two

Al Jazeera, NPR, and CNN contributed to this report.

A routine landing turned catastrophic late Sunday night at New York’s LaGuardia Airport when an Air Canada regional jet collided with a fire truck on the runway, killing both pilots and leaving dozens injured.

The aircraft, operated by Jazz Aviation, had just arrived from Montreal when it struck the emergency vehicle shortly before midnight. The impact crushed the nose of the plane, leaving the cockpit mangled and debris hanging loose.

The pilot and copilot – both based in Canada – did not survive.

Inside the cabin, chaos. Of the 76 people on board, 39 passengers and crew were taken to hospitals. Some suffered serious injuries, though most had been released by Monday. Two Port Authority workers riding in the fire truck were also hospitalized, but officials said their injuries were not life-threatening.

The fire truck had been crossing the runway to respond to another situation – an unrelated United Airlines flight reporting an odor issue – when everything went wrong. Air traffic control audio captured the tension in real time: clearance was given, then quickly revoked.

“Stop, Truck 1. Stop,” the controller urged.

Seconds later, the collision.

Photos from the scene show the aircraft’s front end crumpled upward, stairways pressed against emergency exits as passengers were evacuated into the dark. Nearby, the overturned fire truck lay on its side, battered from the hit.

The airport shut down immediately. Flights were canceled, diverted, or sent back to where they came from, leaving hundreds of travelers stranded overnight. By early morning, weary passengers shuffled through terminals filled with delays and uncertainty.

“I don’t think we’re going anywhere anytime soon,” one traveler said, staring at a departure board stacked with cancellations.

Officials say the airport will remain closed at least until Monday afternoon as investigators piece together what happened. The National Transportation Safety Board has taken the lead, sending a team to examine the crash site and review communications, procedures, and timing.

Early data suggests the plane was moving at a relatively low speed during landing, but even that proved devastating once it met the heavy emergency vehicle on the runway.

The collision adds to growing strain across US air travel, already dealing with delays tied to weather and staffing shortages. At LaGuardia – one of the country’s busiest airports – the disruption rippled quickly, affecting hundreds of flights.

For now, the focus remains on the victims, the injured, and the unanswered questions about how two vehicles – one in the air, one on the ground – ended up in the same place at the worst possible moment.