NEW YORK — Two crew members were killed and several people were seriously injured after an Air Canada regional jet struck a Port Authority fire truck while landing at LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night, officials said.
The pilot and copilot, both based in Canada, died in the crash, which crushed the aircraft’s nose. Thirty-nine passengers and crew were transported to local hospitals, some with serious injuries; authorities said most had been released by Monday. Two Port Authority employees who were riding in the fire truck were also hurt but their injuries were not believed to be life‑threatening, Kathryn Garcia, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said.
The airport was expected to remain closed until at least 2 p.m. Monday to allow an investigation led by the National Transportation Safety Board. The fire truck had been crossing the runway to respond to a separate incident aboard a United Airlines flight, whose pilot reported an odor, Garcia said. She deferred questions about the exact chain of events to the NTSB.
The flight, operated by Jazz Aviation for Air Canada, was a Bombardier CRJ that had originated at Montréal‑Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport and carried 72 passengers and four crew members.
Photos and video from the scene showed extensive damage to the front of the jet, with cables and debris hanging from a mangled cockpit and an emergency vehicle lying on its side. Mobile stairways were used to evacuate passengers; the impact left the aircraft’s crumpled nose tilted upward.
In radio transmissions captured just before the collision, an air traffic controller cleared a vehicle to cross part of the tarmac and then urgently shouted, “Stop, Truck 1. Stop,” while diverting an arriving aircraft. Garcia noted that air traffic controllers were not affected by a partial government shutdown that has impacted some airport operations, though past shutdowns have affected controllers.
Passengers at LaGuardia described a chaotic night. Some had arrived hours early hoping to beat long security lines. Arturo Davidson, whose Miami‑bound flight was on the tarmac, said fellow travelers either saw the collision or its aftermath and were later told there had been an accident. About 20 minutes after the incident, he said, passengers were informed the airport was closing and returned to the terminal.
LaGuardia was the 19th busiest U.S. airport in 2024, with more than 16.7 million boardings, according to a 2025 FAA database. Authorities said the investigation into the cause and circumstances of the collision is ongoing.