An Air Canada regional jet struck a firefighting vehicle on a runway at New York’s LaGuardia Airport late on Sunday night, killing both pilots and sending dozens of passengers and crew to hospital in one of the most serious incidents at the airport in recent memory.
The collision occurred at approximately 11.40pm local time on Runway 4, when a Jazz Aviation aircraft — operating on behalf of Air Canada and travelling at around 24mph after arriving from Montreal — struck a Port Authority rescue and firefighting vehicle that had been responding to a separate incident elsewhere on the airfield. The aircraft, a CRJ 900 model, came to rest with its nose upturned, having sustained significant visible damage.
Seventy-two passengers and four crew members were on board at the time. Of those, 41 passengers and crew were taken to hospital. By Monday morning, 32 had been discharged, though Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia confirmed that a number of those still receiving treatment had sustained serious injuries. All individuals on the flight have been accounted for.
The two officers travelling inside the firefighting vehicle were also hospitalised, though Garcia confirmed both were in a stable condition with no life-threatening injuries. She said she had personally visited them at the hospital, where both were able to speak with her.
The airport was closed immediately following the incident and remained shut into Monday afternoon. Garcia said it was expected to remain closed until at least 2pm local time to allow investigators full access to the site. The Port Authority confirmed that a formal investigation had already begun on the ground, with federal authorities also involved.
The New York City Fire Department issued a public warning ahead of the airport’s reopening, advising travellers and residents in the surrounding area to expect flight cancellations, road closures and traffic disruption, along with a continued emergency presence near the terminal.
The Port Authority said it was working alongside airline partners and federal agencies and would continue to issue updates as the investigation progressed.
The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to lead the formal inquiry into what caused the collision and why the firefighting vehicle was on the active runway at the time of the aircraft’s arrival.
