By Gareth Vipers and Benjamin Katz
New York City's LaGuardia Airport was closed Monday after a passenger jet collided with an emergency vehicle on the runway, killing two pilots and injuring dozens of other people.
An Air Canada Express plane arriving from Montreal collided with a firefighting vehicle late Sunday, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The Federal Aviation Administration implemented a full ground stop at the airport until Monday afternoon. More than 500 flights scheduled to arrive or depart LaGuardia have been canceled.
The two pilots of the Air Canada Express plane were killed in the crash, and a further 41 people, including passengers, crew, and two Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting officers, were taken to the hospital, a Port Authority spokesperson said.
The incident happened shortly before midnight Sunday when Jazz Aviation flight AC8646, operating on behalf of Air Canada, struck a Port Authority firefighting vehicle that was responding to a separate incident. Jazz Aviation said the preliminary passenger list indicated that the aircraft was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members. Jazz Aviation is the primary operator of Air Canada Express flights and the largest regional airline in Canada.
The FAA said LaGuardia would remain closed until at least 2 p.m. ET Monday.
At about 11:37 p.m., an air-traffic controller cleared the rescue truck to cross runway 4. Moments earlier, pilots on a departing United flight had declared an emergency after crew reported feeling ill from an odor in the cabin, according to tower radio messages.
The audio from air-traffic control detailed the moments leading up to the collision. "Truck 1 and company crossing 4 at Delta," the firetruck confirmed to the air-traffic control tower.
About seven seconds later, the air-traffic controller comes back on radio: "Stop stop stop stop truck 1, stop, stop, stop. Stop truck 1, stop..." before electronic chime bells can be heard.
Footage from the scene showed the front end of the plane sheared off roughly where the plane's front doors are located.
At nearby Newark Liberty International, flights were grounded for around an hour following an evacuation of the air-traffic control tower, effectively knocking out two of New York's main aviation hubs for a short period on Monday morning.
The National Transportation Safety Board, which investigates plane accidents in the U.S., said it was sending a team to the scene. Regulators have worried for years about runway collisions in the U.S. due to a string of near misses, such as one involving an emergency vehicle crossing a runway in Baltimore.
Last week, authorities opened an investigation into a near collision at Newark Liberty International on March 17 after an Alaska Airways jet and a FedEx cargo plane were cleared to land on two crossing runways at the same time. Last year, an American plane struck an Army helicopter on approach to Reagan Airport, killing 67.
An increase in near-miss incidents at U.S. airports in recent years has raised concerns among aviation safety experts and industry officials, prompting investigations into their causes and how to prevent them. Explanations being discussed include shortages in air-traffic control staffing, less experience among newer pilots and the need for improved technology.
The FAA oversees roughly 45,000 flights each day across the country. At busy hubs, this can mean a takeoff or landing about every 20 seconds during peak periods.
When there aren't enough air-traffic controllers on duty, delays can build up, heightening the risk of miscommunication between pilots and controllers. There was no indication that the incident at LaGuardia was due to staffing shortages.
In an exchange roughly 15 minutes after the collision, an air-traffic controller discusses the incident with the pilot of another flight scheduled to depart for Miami.
"I got word that we're going to be closed for a little while," the controller said.
"Yeah, we got stuff in progress for that, man. That was, that wasn't good to watch," the pilot radios back.
"Yeah, I know. I was here," the controller replies, according to recordings from LiveATC.net. "We were dealing with an emergency earlier. I messed up."
"Nah, man. You did the best you could," the pilot replied. "God bless you, man."
Write to Gareth Vipers at gareth.vipers@wsj.com and Benjamin Katz at ben.katz@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 23, 2026 09:13 ET (13:13 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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