Two pilots were killed, and dozens of passengers were injured when an Air Canada flight collided with an emergency vehicle on the runway of a New York airport.
A Jazz Aviation flight operating for Air Canada collided with a Port Authority vehicle at LaGuardia Airport on Sunday night, resulting in the deaths of both the pilot and co-pilot and leaving 41 others injured, according to multiple reports.
The jet was reportedly landing when it struck the fire truck, which was responding to a separate incident around 11:40 p.m., NBC News reported, citing the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
(Video Credit: WHAS11)
“There were 72 passengers and four crew on board Flight 8646, and Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia told a news conference early Monday that 41 people were treated for injuries in local hospitals, some of them serious. So far, 32 have been released from hospitals,” NBC News noted.
At approximately 11:40 p.m. on Sunday, a Jazz Aviation flight operating on behalf of Air Canada was involved in an incident on Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport in which the aircraft struck a Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle that was responding to a separate…
— LaGuardia Airport (@LGAairport) March 23, 2026
A sergeant and an officer reportedly suffered broken limbs and non-life-threatening injuries as a result of the collision, which occurred on LaGuardia’s Runway 4 as the Bombardier CRJ-900 twin-jet aircraft flown by Air Canada Express and going about 30 mph, sources told NBC News.
“ATC audio captured by LiveATC.net indicates the ARFF truck was cleared to cross Runway 4 at taxiway D. The tower controller can be heard telling ‘Truck 1’ to stop multiple times before dispatching additional ARFF units on the airfield to the scene,” FlightRadar 24 reported.
FAA Statement
Air Canada Express Flight 8646 struck an Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle after landing on Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport in New York. The accident occurred around 11:40 p.m. local time on Sunday, March 22. The CRJ-900 was arriving from Montreal. The FAA and…— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) March 23, 2026
“The Port Authority Police Department is on scene along with the agency’s Chairman and Executive Director. The airport is currently closed to facilitate the response and allow for a thorough investigation,” the Port Authority Police Department said in a statement.
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
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