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Two pilots tragically lost their lives when an Air Canada Express regional jet collided with a fire truck during landing at LaGuardia Airport in New York on Monday. This incident resulted in the temporary closure of the airport, according to authorities and reports from U.S. media outlets.
Both the pilot and co-pilot were confirmed dead following the collision, as reported by media sources including CNN and NBC. Additionally, 13 individuals suffered injuries and were transported to the hospital. This group comprised 11 passengers and two first responders, as detailed by ABC News.
Reports from the news channel, based on insider information, indicated that the fire truck involved was operated by police officers. NBC News previously mentioned that a sergeant and an officer sustained broken limbs and were hospitalized in stable condition.
The aircraft, managed by Jazz Aviation—a regional affiliate of Air Canada—collided with the firefighting vehicle on the runway just before midnight local time. The vehicle was attending to a separate emergency, according to the New York Port Authority.
Jazz Aviation released a statement revealing that the preliminary passenger manifest included 76 individuals onboard, comprising four crew members.
US aviation authorities ordered all flights at the airport to be grounded, adding there was a “high” likelihood of an extended suspension.
The aircraft struck the fire vehicle at a speed of about 39 km/h, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24.
Photos taken after the accident showed visible damage to the nose of the plane, which was tilted upward.
Authorities and emergency agencies did not offer any immediate comments on deaths or injuries.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the airport was expected to remain shut until 2pm local time on Monday. More than a dozen flights were diverted to other airports, mostly in the New York area, or returned to their point of origin, according to FlightRadar24.
Air Canada referred Reuters to Jazz’s statement and said it was aware of the incident. The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
New York City’s emergency notification system said people could expect cancellations, road closures, traffic delays and emergency personnel near the airport.
Located in the New York borough of Queens, LaGuardia is New York’s third-busiest airport, serving 33.5 million passengers in 2024, according to port authority figures.
It completed an $8 billion redevelopment in 2024, upgrading its ageing infrastructure with new terminals and roadways.
Deadly air crashes in the United States in recent years include a collision between a passenger jet and an army helicopter near Washington in January 2025 that killed 67 people.
Other incidents and close calls have taken place while aircraft were on the ground.
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