NEW YORK, NEW YORK — Two pilots died and 41 people went to the hospital after an Air Canada regional jet slammed into a Port Authority aircraft rescue and firefighting truck on a runway at LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night. The fire truck had clearance to cross the runway. The plane had clearance to land. Both were on the same strip of pavement at the same time.
The collision occurred at approximately 11:40 p.m. on March 22, 2026, on Runway 4. Air Canada Express Flight 8646, a Bombardier CRJ-900 twin-jet operated by Jazz Aviation LP, had departed from Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. The plane carried 72 passengers and four crew members.
LaGuardia shut down at 3:16 a.m. and will remain closed until at least 2 p.m. Monday. The disruption has rippled across the region, with hundreds of flights canceled as of Monday morning. It appears to be the first fatal accident at LaGuardia since 1992.
The Fire Truck and What It Was Doing
The Port Authority aircraft rescue and firefighting truck was not in the wrong place for no reason. It was responding to a separate emergency on a United Airlines flight whose pilot had reported an odor in the cabin. Flight attendants in the back of the plane were reportedly starting to feel ill. The United flight declared an emergency and requested an available gate.
While controllers scrambled to handle the United situation, the fire truck crossed Runway 4. It had received clearance to do so. The Air Canada jet had also received clearance to land on that same runway. Somewhere in the coordination between those two clearances, something broke down.
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Air traffic control audio obtained and verified by multiple outlets captures the moment controllers realized what had happened. One controller can be heard telling the truck to stop — but it was too late.
“Truck One, stop,” the transmission says. The controller then frantically diverted an incoming aircraft from landing.
After the crash, one controller said to another: “I messed up.”
“Nah, man, you did the best you could,” the other responded.
A preliminary review by emergency responders shows both the plane and the truck had received clearance. The NTSB is now determining how both ended up with simultaneous authorization on the same runway.
The Impact and the Injuries
The jet struck the middle of the fire truck. The force threw the two Port Authority officers seated up front from the vehicle — which, according to sources briefed on the matter, is the reason they survived. Both officers were hospitalized in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries.
The pilots were not as fortunate. Because the nose of the jet was low on approach, both pilots absorbed the full force of the impact. Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia confirmed both pilots died. They were both based in Canada. Air Canada’s care team began notifying their families.
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The impact sheared off the nose of the CRJ-900, leaving it crumpled and tilted upward on the runway. A damaged fire truck lay on its side nearby. One flight attendant was found by Port Authority Police outside the aircraft, still strapped into her jumpseat. Because the engines were off when responders arrived, crews opened the rear exit and escorted passengers to safety using stairways pushed up to the emergency exits.
Of the 41 people taken to hospitals — including passengers, crew, and the two fire truck officers — 32 had been released as of Monday morning. Several others remain seriously injured. Passengers were transported to Elmhurst and Queens Presbyterian hospitals.
What the Air Traffic Controller Audio Reveals
The audio paints a picture of a tower already stretched thin. Controllers were actively managing the United Airlines emergency — coordinating an available gate, fielding the flight attendant illness report, and handling inbound traffic — when the Air Canada jet came in on Runway 4.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday morning that his office is looking into whether air traffic control staffing played a role in the crash. ATC towers across the country have been understaffed for months. Thousands of TSA employees are currently working without pay amid a partial government shutdown — though air traffic controllers are funded through the Department of Transportation and continued receiving pay.
“The FAA and NTSB are working closely on this,” Duffy posted on X. “Please keep the victims, families and response teams in your prayers.” Duffy said he was traveling to LaGuardia in response to what he called a “horrific crash.”
The Truck
The vehicle involved was one of LaGuardia’s aircraft rescue and firefighting trucks, a specialized class of heavy emergency vehicle designed to respond to aircraft incidents. The Port Authority operates three different models of ARFF trucks at the airport, according to a Port Authority video released last year. These vehicles are large, heavy, and slow to stop — a critical factor when crossing an active runway.
Photo credit: PAPBA
LaGuardia is one of 35 major U.S. airports equipped with an advanced surface surveillance system that uses radar and locator data to alert controllers to potential runway conflicts. Investigators will examine whether that system flagged anything before the collision.
What Experts Are Saying
Retired aircraft accident investigator and NBC News aviation analyst Jeff Guzzetti called ground collisions between aircraft and vehicles a rare occurrence. “I can’t even think of the last time we had a collision on the ground between an airplane and a vehicle that resulted in critical injuries,” Guzzetti said. He added that based on available information, the plane itself appeared to have no mechanical issues. “It was likely an operational issue involving either the pilot, the controller, or the vehicle driver,” he said.
The Investigation
The NTSB is leading the investigation. The FAA has sent a team to assist. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has also deployed investigators to LaGuardia to support U.S. officials. Investigators are now collecting facts, interviewing personnel, downloading recordings, and pulling data from flight recorders and the cockpit voice recorder.
The NTSB has not yet assigned probable cause or contributing factors. Those findings will come at the conclusion of the investigation.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul posted online: “Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and everyone affected.”
New York City officials urged drivers to avoid the area around LaGuardia, warning of road closures and ongoing traffic delays. All entrances and exits along the Grand Central Parkway have since reopened, though residual delays are expected.
📸 Image(s) used under fair use for news reporting.
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