Air Canada Plane Crash at LaGuardia Airport Kills Two Pilots, Dozens Injured as LGA Closes
A catastrophic collision between an Air Canada Express jet and a Port Authority fire truck on a LaGuardia Airport runway late Sunday night left two pilots dead, dozens of passengers injured, and LGA closed through at least Monday afternoon. The laguardia plane crash is now the subject of a full federal investigation, with the NTSB dispatching a go team to the scene as the nation watches.
What Happened: Air Canada Flight AC8646 Crashes at LGA
Air Canada flight 8646, operated by Jazz Aviation, departed Montreal Trudeau International Airport shortly after 10:30 p.m. ET and arrived at LaGuardia about an hour later. The plane was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members when disaster struck Runway 4.
A Jazz Aviation flight operating on behalf of Air Canada struck a Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle that was responding to a separate incident. Emergency response protocols were immediately activated, and the airport was closed to facilitate the response and allow for a thorough investigation.
The plane was traveling at approximately 130 miles per hour just before striking the fire truck, according to the last data point collected before the lga collision by FlightRadar24. The New York City Fire Department responded to the reported incident at around 11:38 p.m. ET.
Two Pilots Killed, 41 Passengers and Crew Injured
The captain and co-pilot died in the laguardia airport crash. Forty-one people, including two airport rescue officers, were taken to the hospital.
Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia said 32 of the 41 injured had been released by Monday, while nine remained in hospital with serious injuries. Those injured included passengers, crew members, and the two officers aboard the fire truck. Both officers remained hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
A passenger aboard Air Canada flight 8646, Jack Cabot, described the moment of the plane crash: "We went down for a regular landing; we came in pretty hard. We immediately hit something and it was just chaos in there. About five seconds later we had come to a stop. Everybody was hunkered down and everybody was screaming pretty quickly."
ATC Audio: "Stop, Stop, Stop" — Then "I Messed Up"
Moments before the Air Canada plane collided with the ground vehicle at LaGuardia Airport, an air traffic controller is heard on the radio urgently telling the fire truck to stop and not cross the runway, using the word "stop" at least ten times.
The controller shouted "Truck One, stop, stop, stop!" moments before the crash, before addressing Air Canada Express flight 8646 directly: "JAZZ 646, I see you collided with the vehicle. Just hold position. I know you can't move. Vehicles are responding to you now."
Eighteen minutes after the laguardia crash, the air traffic controller can be heard saying: "We were dealing with an emergency earlier. I messed up." Another controller responded: "Nah, man, you did the best you could."
Why Was the Fire Truck on the Runway? The Separate United Airlines Emergency
The collision happened as air traffic control was simultaneously responding to a separate incident in which pilots of United Airlines Flight 2384 aborted their takeoff when an anti-ice warning light came on. They reported an odor in the cabin and requested assistance from firefighters.
To get from the airport fire station to the United plane, the fire truck was granted permission to cross the runway where the Air Canada plane was landing, according to air traffic control audio. Seconds later, the controller urgently ordered the truck to stop before reporting there had been a collision on the field.
Port Authority Executive Director Garcia confirmed that vehicles must receive clearance from the tower to move on runways and taxiways. The air traffic control audio indicates the truck was granted that clearance before it was frantically rescinded.
LGA Closed, Flights Diverted Across New York
LaGuardia Airport is closed and will not reopen until 2 p.m. Monday at the earliest as authorities investigate. The closure could be extended, and police have warned people to avoid the area.
The closure of LGA airport forced the cancellation and diversion of hundreds of flights. Passengers were redirected to nearby airports including John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport, as authorities secured the scene. The closure of one of New York's busiest airports caused ripple effects across the broader U.S. air travel network.
A separate ground stop was issued at Newark Liberty International Airport after air traffic controllers evacuated the tower due to a burning smell coming from an elevator at around 7:30 a.m. ET, marking the second of three major New York-area airports not fully operational Monday morning.
NTSB Investigation, Federal Response, and CRJ-900 Aircraft Details
The National Transportation Safety Board launched a go team to investigate the laguardia airport collision. The NTSB will review air traffic control tapes, radar tapes, and cockpit voice recorder tapes from the airplane. Investigators will conduct witness interviews and interview the controllers. Former NTSB chair Robert Sumwalt estimated the investigation will take between 12 and 18 months.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he was heading to LGA and that his office is looking into whether air traffic control staffing was an issue in this incident, noting that ATC towers have been understaffed nationally for months.
The aircraft involved in the plane crash at LaGuardia Airport was a Bombardier CRJ-900 operated by Jazz Aviation. Air Canada confirmed the incident and activated a family and passenger support line at 1-800-961-7099 for those with loved ones aboard AC8646.
