Tragedy Strikes at Major New York Transportation Hub
Two pilots are dead and dozens injured after an Air Canada regional jet collided with a fire truck on a runway at New York's LaGuardia airport late Sunday, US authorities confirmed Monday [1]. The crash brought operations at one of the country's busiest airports to a standstill, leaving the Bombardier CRJ-900 aircraft tilted back on its tail with a destroyed cockpit, positioned next to the damaged emergency vehicle [1].
The collision marks LaGuardia's first fatal accident since 1992 [1]. By early afternoon Monday, the airport had resumed flights, though officials warned travellers to expect continued delays and cancellations [1].
How the Collision Happened
Air traffic control tower recordings paint a picture of a split-second emergency. The controller had cleared the fire truck to cross the runway while responding to a separate incident, but moments later urgently reversed course [1]. "Stop, truck one, stop!" the controller commanded just before impact [1]. An alarm then sounded as surveillance footage captured the plane striking the rescue vehicle, sending both hurtling across the runway [1].
The pilot and copilot of Jazz Aviation Flight 8646, which had arrived from Montreal, were killed in the impact [1]. The two firefighters in the damaged truck are expected to recover [1].
Investigation Underway
US aviation investigators, working alongside Canadian counterparts, have opened a formal investigation into the circumstances of the crash [1]. Bryan Bedford, head of the Federal Aviation Administration, described the loss as "an absolute tragedy," noting that both pilots were young men at the start of their careers [1].
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy addressed staffing concerns at the airport, dismissing what he called a "rumour" that only one controller was in the tower at the time [1]. Air traffic controller shortages remain an ongoing problem across the United States, prompting the government to ramp up hiring efforts [1].
Passengers and the Aftermath
The CRJ-900 aircraft carried 76 people, including four crew members [1]. More than 40 passengers and crew were hospitalised following the collision, though many were discharged by Monday afternoon, according to Kathryn Garcia, head of the city's Port Authority [1].
Passenger Jack Cabot described the harrowing moments after impact: "Everyone was hunkered down, everyone was screaming, we didn't have any directions because the pilots' cabin was destroyed," he recalled [1]. "Someone said 'let's get the emergency exit, let's get the door and all jump out' and that's exactly what we did" [1].
International Response
US President Donald Trump called the incident "terrible," telling reporters, "they made a mistake. It's a dangerous business" [1]. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed deep sadness over the fatal collision: "Canadian officials are working closely with their US counterparts on the ground as the investigation continues. My thoughts are with the victims, their families, and all those impacted," he wrote [1].
About LaGuardia
Located in Queens, LaGuardia is the third-busiest airport serving the New York area, handling 33.5 million passengers in 2024 [1]. The airport completed an ambitious $8 billion redevelopment project in 2024, upgrading its aging infrastructure with new terminals and roadways [1]. The crash comes as hundreds of flights were cancelled, with AFP journalists observing travellers laying down in terminals as operations were disrupted [1].
This incident joins a troubling list of deadly air crashes in recent years. A collision between a passenger jet and an army helicopter near Washington in January 2025 killed 67 people [1].