Two Pilots Killed, 60 Injured as Air Canada Jet Collides With Fire Truck at LaGuardia

A Jazz Aviation regional jet operating on behalf of Air Canada collided with a Port Authority firefighting vehicle on a runway at New York's LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night, killing both pilots and injuring at least 60 other people in the worst aviation accident at a major American airport in years. The crash occurred at approximately 11:40 p.m. local time, sending emergency responders scrambling and shutting down one of the nation's busiest airports for most of Monday.

The aircraft, a Jazz Aviation turboprop operating as Air Canada Express, was carrying 72 passengers and 4 crew members when it struck the Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle on the tarmac. The fire truck had been dispatched to respond to a separate, unrelated report of an odor detected aboard a United Airlines flight parked at a nearby gate. Investigators said the exact sequence of events leading to the collision — including questions about runway clearance, crew communications, and air traffic control instructions — remains under active investigation.

Both the pilot and co-pilot of the Air Canada aircraft were killed in the impact. Of the 60 people injured, 41 were transported to area hospitals, though 32 had been released by Monday afternoon. Four firefighters aboard the Port Authority vehicle sustained injuries. The National Transportation Safety Board launched an immediate investigation into the cause of the collision and said it would be conducting interviews with surviving passengers, crew, and air traffic control personnel at LaGuardia throughout the week. The NTSB sent a full go-team to the scene.

LaGuardia Airport was closed immediately following the incident. Port Authority officials said the airport would remain shut until at least 2 p.m. Monday to allow investigators to work the scene and for crews to remove the wreckage. The closure triggered widespread disruption across the northeastern United States, with hundreds of flights diverted to John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty, and Philadelphia International Airport. Airlines issued waivers allowing passengers to rebook without fees. New York Governor Kathy Hochul expressed condolences and pledged full cooperation with federal investigators.

The crash reignited a debate about ground safety procedures at LaGuardia, a notoriously congested airport that has been the subject of repeated safety reviews over the decades. Aviation safety advocates noted that LaGuardia's confined geography — the airport sits on a narrow peninsula — means runway incursions and ground collisions carry heightened risks. The Federal Aviation Administration said it would cooperate with the NTSB investigation and declined to speculate on preliminary cause findings. Air Canada issued a statement expressing deep condolences to the families of the pilots and pledging to support all passengers and crew affected by the accident. The airline said it was in direct contact with the families of the deceased and was providing assistance. Jazz Aviation, the regional carrier that operates flights under the Air Canada brand on the affected route, also released a statement offering full cooperation with authorities.

Sunday night's accident is the deadliest aviation incident at a major New York-area airport since a US Airways flight struck a flock of geese over the Hudson River in 2009. That flight, which became known as the 'Miracle on the Hudson,' resulted in no fatalities. The LaGuardia crash is now the subject of intense scrutiny, with lawmakers calling for Congressional hearings on ground safety protocols at America's major airports.