Two people were killed and more than a dozen others injured late Sunday after a regional passenger jet collided with a firefighting vehicle while landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, prompting the closure of one of the nation’s busiest air travel hubs.
The aircraft, operating as Air Canada Express flight AC8646 from Montreal, struck the ground vehicle shortly before midnight as it touched down on Runway 4, according to officials with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The plane was operated by Jazz Aviation, a regional carrier that flies on behalf of Air Canada.
Authorities said at least 13 people were transported to local hospitals following the collision. Among the injured were 11 passengers from the aircraft and two emergency responders. The identities of those killed have not yet been publicly released.
Preliminary information indicates the CRJ 900 jet was carrying 76 people, including four crew members, when the incident occurred. Data from flight tracking service Flightradar24 suggests the aircraft was traveling at approximately 24 miles per hour during the landing when it struck the vehicle.
Officials said the firefighting truck had been responding to a separate incident at the airport when it crossed the runway. The cause of the collision remains under investigation.
Emergency response procedures were activated immediately after the crash. Fire crews and medical teams rushed to the scene while airport authorities halted all operations to allow first responders and investigators to work safely.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop for all flights headed to LaGuardia, forcing incoming aircraft to divert to other airports in the region or return to their departure cities. Airport officials said the shutdown could extend for several hours while the runway remains closed.
The National Transportation Safety Board has dispatched an investigative team to examine the crash. Investigators will review flight data, air traffic control communications and the sequence of events that led to the vehicle and aircraft occupying the same runway.
Travel disruptions spread quickly through the New York metropolitan area’s aviation network. LaGuardia’s flight information system showed multiple arrivals redirected to airports in Newark, Philadelphia and Boston as airlines scrambled to adjust schedules.
City emergency management officials warned residents and travelers to expect road closures and increased traffic around the airport in Queens as emergency vehicles and investigators remained on site.
The collision occurred during a period when LaGuardia was already facing operational challenges. Recent storms had caused delays and cancellations, and airport officials recently reported longer security wait times tied to staffing shortages.
LaGuardia handled more than 33 million passengers in 2024, making it the third busiest airport in the New York region. Even short disruptions can quickly ripple through the national air travel system.
