(New York) Two Air Canada pilots lost their lives Sunday evening when their plane, which took off from Montreal, collided with an emergency vehicle on a runway at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
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The collision involving a Jazz Aviation aircraft, a regional carrier operating under the name Air Canada Express, occurred shortly before midnight. Seventy-two passengers and four crew members were on board.
As it landed, the plane struck a Port Authority of New York and New Jersey fire truck that was crossing the runway to respond to another incident.
At a news conference early Monday, Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia said 41 people were taken to hospital.
Nine of them were still hospitalized at the time of the press briefing, some of them in critical condition. The other 32 had been discharged.
On photos and videos taken on site, we could see significant damage to the front of the plane. Under the effect of the impact, the nose of the aircraft, fully depressed, was raised upwards.
PHOTO BING GUAN, REUTERS
The plane, a CRJ-900 from Jazz Aviation operating on behalf of Air Canada, “collided with a Port Authority fire and rescue vehicle which was responding to another incident.”
Mme Garcia said the pilot and co-pilot, who did not survive, were “based in Canada.” The flight took off from Montreal-Trudeau International Airport.
LaGuardia Airport will remain closed until at least 2 p.m. Monday to facilitate the work of investigators.
“Stop, Truck 1. Stop. »
The fire truck was crossing the runway as it headed toward a United Airlines plane, whose pilot had reported “an odor problem.”
In the moments before the crash, an air traffic controller cleared a vehicle to cross part of the tarmac and then attempted to stop it.
“Stop, Truck 1. Stop,” can be heard over the radio transmission. The controller then frantically diverts other approaching planes.
PHOTO RYAN MURPHY, ASSOCIATED PRESS
A Port Authority fire and rescue vehicle lies on its side near Runway 4 after colliding with an Air Canada plane at LaGuardia Airport in New York on March 23, 2026.
During his press conference, Mr.me Garcia did not elaborate further on the chronology of events. It also did not provide details about the passengers or pilots.
She invited journalists to direct their questions about the circumstances of the collision to the United States National Transportation Safety Board, which has opened an investigation.
