Two Pilots Killed, Dozens Hurt After Air Canada Express Jet Collides With Fire Truck at LaGuardia
Two pilots were killed and dozens of people were injured after an Air Canada Express regional jet collided with a fire truck while landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport late Sunday, in a crash that immediately shut down one of the nation’s busiest airports and set off a federal investigation. The aircraft was a CRJ-900 operated by Jazz Aviation on behalf of Air Canada Express. The plane had arrived from Montreal and was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members, according to a preliminary passenger list subject to confirmation. NBC News reported the deaths of both pilots and said dozens of people were hurt.
2026-03-23 14:53:48 - VI News Staff
The collision happened on Runway 4. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said the firefighting vehicle was responding to a separate incident when it was struck. Air traffic control audio indicated that a United Airlines flight had earlier declared an emergency over an odor on board, and that fire trucks had been positioned in response. A second radio transmission showed the truck being cleared to cross Runway 4 at taxiway Delta. Moments later, the controller could be heard urgently saying, “Stop, stop, stop, truck 1 stop, truck 1, stop.” The impact was severe. Flight-tracking site Flightradar24 showed the aircraft was moving at about 24 miles per hour when it struck the vehicle. Photos taken after the crash showed heavy damage to the nose of the aircraft, which appeared tilted upward. NBC News said the fire truck was manned by police officers and that a sergeant and an officer suffered broken limbs but were in stable condition.
Federal investigators are now on the case. Reuters reported that the National Transportation Safety Board is deploying a team of technical experts to investigate what happened. The Federal Aviation Administration said LaGuardia was expected to remain shut until 2 p.m. Monday, and at least 18 flights were diverted to other airports or sent back to their origin. The crash is likely to intensify scrutiny on runway safety after a string of aviation incidents in the United States. The event comes amid fresh attention to runway incursions and broader safety lapses, including legislative efforts in Washington to address long-standing aviation safety recommendations. READ MORE...https://viconsortium.com/vi-accidents/virgin-islands-two-pilots-killed--dozens-hurt-after-air-canada-express-jet-collides-with-fire-truck-at-laguardia