LaGuardia Plane Crash: LGA Reopens One Runway as NTSB Probe Intensifies — Live Updates March 23, 2026

LaGuardia Airport has partially reopened after the deadliest laguardia plane crash in the airport's modern history. Two pilots are dead, dozens remain injured, and a federal investigation into the air canada plane crash laguardia airport is now at full speed Monday afternoon as Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, and NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy converge on LGA.

LaGuardia Airport Reopens One Runway — But Hundreds of Flights Remain Canceled

LaGuardia Airport reopened at 2 p.m. ET Monday, following a closure due to the deadly collision between the Air Canada plane and fire truck. New York City's second-biggest airport resumed flights on just one runway, in line with a Federal Aviation Administration operations plan. Much of the wreckage from the lga crash remained on the other runway as NTSB officials began their investigation.

LaGuardia reopened with limited capacity, operating on a single runway while the NTSB documents the scene. Nearly 600 flights were canceled through Monday, and airlines warned that delays and disruptions will continue as the investigation unfolds.

Delta Air Lines, the largest carrier at LGA, canceled 89 — or 55% — of its mainline flights in and out of LaGuardia on Monday. Delta said it will automatically rebook affected passengers and is offering flexible travel options for customers traveling to, from, or through New York-area airports.

Plane Crash LaGuardia Airport: Speed, Impact, and the Pilots Who Died

Preliminary data shows the Air Canada plane was traveling between 93 and 105 mph when it impacted the fire truck, according to FlightRadar24. The collision demolished the front of the airplane and killed both pilots. The two Port Authority officers aboard the fire truck suffered injuries but were expected to survive.

The impact of the collision totaled the emergency vehicle and severely damaged the plane's nose, which tipped upward. The rear of the plane slammed onto the tarmac. Both pilots operating the Air Canada flight were pronounced dead at the scene. Their identities have been withheld, pending family notification.

A flight attendant strapped to her seat fell through an opening in the severed aircraft. A video posted on social media showed the plane colliding with the truck, going over the vehicle, which tumbled beneath the massive jet.

Air Canada Laguardia Crash: How the Fire Truck Got on Runway 4

Air traffic control audio captures the moments leading up to the laguardia collision, which began with another flight reporting an emergency on the other side of the airport. United Flight 2384 aborted a takeoff due to a warning light, and the pilots reported that an odor in the cabin had sickened the flight attendants. To reach the United plane, the fire truck was granted permission to cross the runway where the Air Canada plane was landing.

A retired air traffic controller explained that two distinct positions manage aircraft and vehicles on the airfield — the ground controller, who oversees taxiways and movement areas, and the local controller, who handles takeoffs, landings, and runway operations. "There has to be coordination between the ground controller and the local controller when runways are crossed," he said. Investigators will focus on exactly where that coordination broke down during the lga accident.

Investigators will look into the communication breakdown and work to determine how the vehicle was allowed to be on the runway as the plane landed, and whether the air traffic controller was working alone at the time of the la guardia crash.

ATC Audio: "I Messed Up" — The Controller's Words After the LGA Crash

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.

After the lga crash, an air traffic controller spoke with a crew from Frontier Airlines. "I tried to reach out to my staff, and we were dealing with an emergency earlier, and I messed up," the air traffic controller said. "No, man. You did the best you could," the pilot responded.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said his office is looking into whether air traffic control staffing was an issue in this incident. Nationally, ATC towers have been understaffed for months — staffing levels fell so low during the government shutdown that delays and cancellations ran rampant, and those who did work through the shutdown missed payday.

Passengers, Survivors, and the Unaccompanied Minor Reunited

All 72 passengers, along with four other crew members on the plane and two officers inside the rescue vehicle, have been accounted for. Of the 41 people transported to Elmhurst and Presbyterian Hospitals immediately after the impact, 32 have since been released. Two Port Authority officers suffered broken limbs and remained in stable condition.

A woman recalled the moment her daughter told her that the Air Canada plane she was on had crashed at laguardia. "She just said, 'Mom, you know, the plane crashed.' And I just couldn't believe that the plane crashed," the woman told reporters. "When I get her in my arms, I'll be a much happier mom."

An unaccompanied minor on board was reunited with their family. The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force also responded to the scene and left once aviation officials made the final determination that the laguardia airport crash was not a criminal or terrorist act.

NTSB Investigation, Federal Response, and 3:15 PM Press Conference

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, and NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy are all expected on site at LaGuardia Monday afternoon. Duffy and Bedford scheduled a media briefing for 3:15 p.m. ET inside Terminal B of the airport to share updates on the tragic ground collision involving Air Canada Express flight 8646.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is deploying a team of investigators to support the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board in its probe of the laguardia airport collision — a cross-border response that reflects the Canadian registry of the Jazz Aviation aircraft.

Jazz Aviation President Doug Clarke said in a statement: "Today is an incredibly difficult day for our airline, our employees and most importantly, the families and loved ones of those affected by the accident involving Flight 8646. We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of our two pilots and our unwavering support to those who have been injured." Air Canada's passenger support line for those with concerns about loved ones aboard AC8646 remains active at 1-800-961-7099.