plane crash laguardia airport — Two crew members were killed and dozens were hurt when an Air Canada Express jet struck a fire truck while landing at LaGuardia Airport; the collision forced the airport to close and sent emergency crews to the scene, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said. The jet, operating a regional CRJ-900 from Montreal, was carrying passengers and crew and struck a firefighting vehicle that was responding to a separate United Airlines incident. Airport operations were halted and federal investigators were dispatched as emergency responders triaged injured passengers and vehicle occupants.
Plane Crash Laguardia Airport: Key Facts
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said the pilot and co-pilot of the Air Canada Express regional jet were killed in the crash. The Port Authority said nine people were hospitalized in the immediate aftermath, while a Port Authority spokesperson later said 41 others were injured; officials have provided differing tallies as responders worked through the night. A radio transmission from air traffic control captured the urgent warning, “Stop, Truck 1. Stop, ” immediately before controllers diverted other inbound aircraft.
The aircraft involved was an Air Canada Express CRJ-900 operated by Jazz Aviation, and it was carrying passengers from Montreal with four crew members on board. The fire truck had been responding to an unrelated issue on a United Airlines flight after an odor was reported, Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia said. The truck was shown tipped on its side and the nose of the jet was heavily damaged in available images released by authorities.
LaGuardia was closed after the collision; the Federal Aviation Administration said the airport was expected to remain closed until 2: 00 p. m. ET on Monday while teams coordinate response and recovery. New York City emergency alerts warned residents and travelers to expect cancellations, road closures and traffic delays around the airport as emergency personnel worked on scene.
Immediate Reactions
“The vehicle was responding to another aircraft operated by United that had reported an issue with odor, ” Kathryn Garcia, Executive Director, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said at a news briefing outlining the sequence of events and emergency response. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy offered a federal response and wrote that “Our prayers this morning are with the families impacted by the ground collision at LaGuardia. We will continue to work closely with the NTSB and share additional updates as soon as possible. ” The NTSB and FAA have confirmed they will investigate the collision and the circumstances that led to a fire truck and a landing jet occupying the runway area at the same time.
Emergency crews reported that some passengers were evacuated using stairways pressed against emergency exits, and a flight attendant was found strapped into a jumpseat after responders reached the jet. The Port Authority said some vehicle occupants sustained broken limbs but were in stable condition; the two front-seated officers in the fire truck were thrown from the vehicle during impact.
Quick Context
The jet was identified as an Air Canada Express CRJ-900 operated by Jazz Aviation, a partner carrier of Air Canada and owned by Chorus Aviation. The fire truck had been responding to a separate aircraft issue on a United flight when it entered the runway area, creating the conditions that led to this crash. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA have been named to the probe.
What’s Next
Federal investigators from the NTSB and the FAA will lead a formal inquiry into the collision; the FAA has said it will send a team to support the investigation. Airport officials expect operations to remain disrupted while wreckage is cleared and a formal runway assessment is completed; travelers should expect continued delays and cancellations as the response continues. Coverage will focus on the investigators’ findings about clearances given to the aircraft and the responding vehicle, and on any procedural changes the Port Authority and federal agencies implement in the wake of this plane crash laguardia airport.
