NEW YORK — Two flight crewmembers were killed and dozens more injured when an Air Canada regional jet struck a Port Authority fire truck on a LaGuardia Airport runway while landing late Sunday night, officials said.
The pilot and copilot died in the collision, which crushed the nose of the Bombardier CRJ. Thirty-nine passengers and crew were taken to area hospitals with injuries; most have since been released, authorities said Monday. Two Port Authority employees riding in the fire truck were hurt but their injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, Kathryn Garcia, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said at a news conference.
Garcia said both the pilot and copilot were based in Canada. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, and the airport was to remain closed until at least 2 p.m. Monday to allow investigators access to the scene.
According to Garcia, the fire truck was crossing the runway to respond to a separate incident aboard a United Airlines flight whose pilot had reported “an issue with odor.” She deferred further questions about the sequence of events to the NTSB.
The aircraft was a Jazz Aviation flight operating for Air Canada that had originated at Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. The airline said there were 72 passengers and four crew aboard.
Photos and video from the scene showed severe damage to the front of the jet, with cables and debris hanging from a mangled cockpit and the nose crumpled and tilted upward. A Port Authority aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle was visible on its side nearby. Portable stairways were used to evacuate passengers from the plane’s emergency exits.
Audio of air traffic control transmissions captured a controller giving clearance for a vehicle to cross part of the tarmac and then urgently trying to stop it. The controller is heard saying, “Stop, Truck 1. Stop,” then attempting to divert the incoming aircraft from landing.
Officials noted that air traffic controllers were not affected by the partial federal government shutdown that has caused airport security delays in recent days, but that controllers have been affected by past shutdowns.
Passengers described confusion and long delays after the collision. Arturo Davidson, whose Miami-bound flight was on the tarmac, said travelers either saw the collision or its aftermath and were told about the accident. About 20 minutes later, passengers were instructed that the airport was closing and to return to the terminal, he said.
LaGuardia was the 19th-busiest U.S. airport in 2024, with more than 16.7 million passengers boarding there, according to a 2025 FAA database. The NTSB and the Port Authority said they will continue investigating how the fire truck and jet came into contact during the landing.