NEW YORK: An Air Canada Express passenger aircraft collided with a fire truck while landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport late Sunday, killing the pilot and co-pilot and injuring several others, according to US media reports.
The aircraft, identified as a CRJ-900 regional jet arriving from Montreal, struck an airport emergency vehicle on the runway at approximately 11:38 p.m.
US broadcasters, including CNN and NBC, reported that both the pilot and co-pilot were killed in the collision.
At least 13 other people — including 11 passengers and two first responders — were taken to the hospital with injuries, ABC News reported, citing officials briefed on the situation.
The aircraft, which was arriving from Montreal, struck what officials said was a Port Authority vehicle, a fire truck on the runway at approximately 11:38 p.m.
🚨 UPDATE: Queens, NY — LaGuardia Airport on runway 4 escalates:
FDNY reports 5 red tag firefighters and over 100 passengers injured.
Heavy ARFF deployment continues (foam ops, satellites, FAST team); runway closed, mass casualty protocols active. Airport shut down; more… https://t.co/4EJh30DHEj pic.twitter.com/Tx2MXvwIYF
— Breaking News (@TheNewsTrending) March 23, 2026
Earlier, the New York Fire Department confirmed it had responded to a runway incident involving a plane and a vehicle, though it did not initially provide details on casualties. The New York Police Department also confirmed the collision.
There were 76 passengers and four crew members on board the aircraft at the time of the incident, according to sources, though the full extent of injuries among those on board was not immediately clear.
There were 76 passengers and four crew members on board the aircraft at the time of the incident, according to the source. Their conditions were not immediately clear.
18 flights have been diverted away from La Guardia following tonight’s collision between a CRJ-900 and ARFF truck, including this Frontier flight returning to Atlanta. Most diversions went to the two other New York area airports (JFK, EWR). https://t.co/DFJEhJzGOb pic.twitter.com/5gtZrZHv81
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) March 23, 2026
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily halted all flights at LaGuardia Airport following the collision.
Flight tracking platform Flightradar24 reported that at least 18 flights were diverted, with most redirected to nearby John F Kennedy (JFK) and Newark Liberty airports.
Emergency crews remained at the scene as authorities assessed the situation.
Images and video shared on social media showed visible damage to the aircraft’s nose and forward fuselage, with the front underside appearing mangled following the impact.
The cause of the collision was not immediately known.
