Pilots dead and dozens injured after plane crashes into firetruck on LaGuardia tarmac
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An Air Canada jet sits on the runway at LaGuardia Airport, Monday, March 23, 2026, after colliding with a Port Authority aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle after landing in New York. AP Photo/Ryan Murphy
By Ryan Schwach
Two airline pilots were killed and dozens of passengers were injured after a plane crashed into a firetruck on the tarmac at LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night.
The two pilots of an Air Canada flight died when they accidentally collided with a Port Authority firetruck, injuring several dozen others. Flights were suspended in and out of the Queens airport through Monday afternoon. Flights resumed after 2 p.m., but with significant delays, the Port Authority said.
It was the first fatal crash at the airport in more than 30 years.
The tragic accident only added to ongoing troubles at Queens’ airports as long lines and flight delays frustrated travellers amid the partial government shutdown.
Air Canada Express 8646, a Bombardier CRJ-900 airplane, was coming into LGA from Montreal at around 11:40 p.m. when it crashed into a Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting truck on Runway 4, according to the Port Authority.
The plane was a Jazz Aviation flight operating on behalf of Air Canada.
The pilot and co-pilot of the plane were pronounced dead at the scene. They were not identified as of Monday afternoon but were described as “two young men at the start of their career,” by Federal Aviation Administrator Brian Bedford.
“It's an absolute tragedy,” said Bedford. “We are committed to a full, transparent investigation, we will support the [National Transportation Safety Board] in any way possible, and again, we look forward to being able to take concrete actions to ensure something like this will never happen again.”
Forty-one others – 39 passengers and two Port Authority officers – were transported to the hospital.
The two Port Authority officers were taken to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. One was expected to be released later on Monday, and the other was to be kept overnight for observation, according to Port Authority Commissioner Kathryn Garcia.
Bedford said that conditions were not ideal at LGA on Saturday night due to rain and fog. An aborted take off of a United Airlines flight is what prompted the response of the fire and rescue team that was hit by the Air Canada plane.
Reports indicate that the plane was travelling between 93 and 105 mph when it hit the truck.
Videos posted on social media show the moment of impact. The firetruck – which has its emergency lights on – turned into the path of the jet before the crash created a massive smoke cloud as the vehicles barreled down the runway.
Air Traffic Control also reportedly tried to stop the incident from occurring, telling the truck to stop just before the collision.
“I messed up,” an air traffic controller is heard saying on a recording.
The NTSB was on scene and investigating the incident following the crash.
Officials spoke from LaGuardia on Monday afternoon, but did not provide much additional information.
“The NTSB goes through a thorough investigation, and we are conscious about the information and the facts that we give you,” said Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who spoke to the press alongside Bedford, Garcia, Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani. “We want that information to be accurate.”
Duffy said that the DOT is working to ensure safety at the nation’s airports and maintain adequate ATC staffing.
The secretary added that LaGuardia is a “well-staffed airport” with 33 actively employed air traffic controllers.
“It was an aviation disaster, the likes of which we have not seen here in over three decades,” said Hochul. “Two young pilots left their homes expecting a return to their families and they will not.
Mamdani thanked first responders, and said more information would be shared going forward.
“As we continue to learn information, we will share it with you, and in the meantime, let us keep those who died in our thoughts and continue to hope for a quick recovery for those who are injured,” he said.
More airport headaches
Sunday night’s crash, and the subsequent ground stop and cancellation of all LGA flights, only added to the stress being felt at the Western Queens airport and at Queens other airport, John F. Kennedy International in Southeast Queens.
The ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown has caused massive headaches for travelers and airport personnel.
TSA agents are currently working without pay, and many are calling in sick.
What has resulted is massively long lines at both airports, with some people reporting a 2 to 3 hours just to get through security checks.
One flyer out of JFK told the Eagle last week they had to wait more than two hours just to check in at the airport for an early morning flight to Colombia, causing them to miss their connecting flight.
“They were definitely overwhelmed,” said Steven Artunduaga. “They were yelling at, and over each other. One person would direct us one way and then someone else would direct us back.”
The ongoing DHS shutdown, which stems from a partisan political fight in Washington over Immigration and Customs Enforcement and DHS accountability under the Trump administration, has hindered the efforts of TSA, which falls under the department.
Hochul acknowledged the “tremendous stress” facing airport workers in recent days.
“This is an ecosystem which is not self-sustaining,” she said.
Over the weekend, President Donald Trump said he would put ICE agents in American airports to help move flyers along, a suggestion quickly condemned by Democrats.
“Airports must remain spaces of safety and dignity,” said State Senator Jessica Ramos. “ICE presence replaces that with fear, intimidation, and deep uncertainty for too many families.”
On Monday, there were reports of ICE agents at JFK, but no similar resorts out of LGA.
This story has been updated.
