Air Canada Express pilot and co-pilot killed in LaGuardia crash; collision with fire truck leaves dozens injured

The tragic aviation incident at LaGuardia Airport has resulted in the deaths of both the pilot and co-pilot of an Air Canada Express flight after their aircraft collided with a fire truck during landing.

The crash, which occurred late Sunday night, has transformed what initially appeared to be a ground accident into a fatal event, with the cockpit bearing the brunt of the impact.

In addition to the fatalities, dozens of people were injured in the incident, according to NBC News. Among them were individuals associated with the ground vehicle, which was reportedly being operated by police personnel at the time.


Some of those on the ground sustained fractures but were said to be in stable condition. Emergency responders were quickly deployed to the runway, and injured passengers and personnel were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment.

Air Canada Express aircraft, passengers and impact details

The aircraft involved was a CRJ-900 regional jet operated by Jazz Aviation, a partner carrier of Air Canada. It was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members on a flight from Montreal when the collision occurred.

Data from Flightradar24 suggests the aircraft struck the ground vehicle at an estimated speed of around 24 mph (approximately 39 km/h) during its landing phase.

Images from the scene show visible damage concentrated in the nose section of the aircraft, which appeared tilted upward after impact, an indication of the force absorbed by the cockpit area.

Fire truck on active runway probable cause of LaGuardia crash

Preliminary information indicates that the fire truck involved in the collision was responding to a separate emergency when it entered the runway. The vehicle, operated under the authority of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, was struck by the incoming aircraft on Runway 4.

This overlap of aircraft landing operations and emergency ground movement is now a key focus of the investigation, as authorities work to determine how both came to occupy the same runway at the same time.

LaGuardia Airport shutdown

Following the crash, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a complete ground stop, shutting down operations at LaGuardia. The airport was expected to remain closed for several hours, with officials warning of extended disruption.

At least 18 flights were diverted to nearby airports or forced to return to their origin, while many others were delayed or canceled. Given that LaGuardia handles tens of thousands of passengers daily, the incident caused widespread travel disruption across the region.