Two dead after Air Canada Express CRJ900 hits fire truck at LaGuardia

An Air Canada Express regional jet struck a Port Authority firefighting vehicle on Runway 4 at New York LaGuardia Airport late on March 22, 2026, prompting an emergency response and the temporary closure of the airport.

LaGuardia said the Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle had been responding to a separate incident when it was hit by the aircraft at around 11:40, local time.

“The airport is currently closed to facilitate the response and allow for a thorough investigation,” the airport said.

Jazz Aviation, which operated the flight on behalf of Air Canada, confirmed the incident involved flight AC8646, a CRJ900 flying from Montreal (YUL) to New York (LGA). Jazz said the preliminary passenger list showed 72 passengers and four crew members on board, although the figure remained subject to confirmation. The airline added that further details would follow.

BREAKING: Several injuries after Air Canada plane and firetruck collide on runaway at New York’s LaGuardia Airport pic.twitter.com/cO6u5HD1YA— BNO News (@BNONews) March 23, 2026

NBC News said the captain and first officer were killed in the collision, citing two sources familiar with the investigation.

The incident led to an immediate shutdown of airport operations as emergency protocols were activated. Reuters reported that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) expected LaGuardia to remain closed until 14:00 ET on March 23, while the FAA’s airport status page later showed only minor arrival and departure delays, suggesting operations were at least partially recovering by early Monday.

The cause of the accident was not immediately clear. Reuters said the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was expected to investigate.

March 23, 2026, 11:16 (UTC +3)
Two pilots confirmed killed, 41 people taken to hospital

Kathryn Garcia, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said the two pilots of the Air Canada Express aircraft died after the plane collided with a vehicle on the runway at LaGuardia Airport. Garcia added that 41 passengers and crew members were taken to the hospital, 32 of whom have since been released, while others remained hospitalized with serious injuries.
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