Air Canada LaGuardia Crash Kills Two Pilots, Injures Dozens as NTSB Probes Collision With Authorized Runway Fire Truck
An Air Canada Express Bombardier CRJ‑900 (Flight 8646) from Montréal to LaGuardia collided late March 22 with a Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting truck that was crossing the runway at tower discretion to respond to a separate odor report; both the pilot and copilot were killed and roughly 40–42 passengers, crew and ARFF personnel were taken to hospitals (several seriously injured) while two Port Authority officers in the truck were hospitalized in stable, non‑life‑threatening condition. Air‑traffic‑control audio captured controllers repeatedly ordering the truck to "stop" and later acknowledging an error; the FAA issued a ground stop, LaGuardia was closed until at least 2 p.m. Monday as the NTSB leads the investigation, and hundreds of flights were canceled or diverted.
📌 Key Facts
- About 11:40–11:47 p.m. ET on March 22, 2026, Air Canada Express Flight 8646 (a Bombardier CRJ‑900 operated by Jazz Aviation from Montréal‑Trudeau) collided with a Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) truck on LaGuardia's Runway 4; the truck was responding to a separate incident (a reported odor on a United flight).
- Both the airplane's pilot and co‑pilot were killed; both were based in Canada, according to Port Authority officials.
- Dozens were injured: roughly 40–42 passengers and crew were taken to hospitals (NPR reported 41; other outlets reported similar totals); most have been released but several remained hospitalized with some serious injuries.
- Two Port Authority ARFF personnel in the truck were hospitalized in stable, non–life‑threatening condition after the collision.
- Air‑traffic‑control audio (LiveATC) captures controllers repeatedly ordering 'Truck 1' to 'stop, stop' and diverting incoming traffic; in the recording a controller says, 'We were dealing with an emergency earlier and I messed up.'
- Reports indicate both the aircraft and the emergency vehicle had been cleared by the tower to use the runway, a detail investigators say points to potential procedural or systemic failures to be examined.
- The NTSB is leading the investigation; LaGuardia was closed overnight and remained shut until at least 2 p.m. Monday to facilitate the probe, the FAA issued a ground stop, and FlightAware reported at least 573 flight cancellations that morning.
- Flightradar24 reported the plane's ground speed at impact was about 24 mph; public officials including Gov. Kathy Hochul and Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia issued condolences and said federal authorities are coordinating on the investigation, while analysts have flagged controller workload and staffing as broader contextual concerns.
📊 Relevant Data
As of 2023, the FAA air traffic controller workforce was approximately 79.9% male and 20.1% female, indicating a gender imbalance in the profession.
Air traffic controllers & airfield operations specialists — Data USA
In 2023, the ethnic composition of air traffic controllers in the United States was 64% White, with Black or African American representing the next largest group.
Air traffic controller demographics in the United States — CareerExplorer
Fatigue from understaffing and overtime in air traffic control has contributed to an increase in aviation safety incidents, with the global accident rate rising by 36.8% from 1.87 to 2.56 accidents per million departures between 2023 and 2024.
During the recent DHS shutdown, LaGuardia Airport experienced 16% of TSA officers calling out, contributing to staffing shortages and long security lines at the airport.
Travelers at LaGuardia Airport report long security lines due to staffing shortages — CBS News
Government shutdowns have exacerbated FAA air traffic controller shortages, with staffing levels dropping by about 6% in the last decade while air travel increased by 10%.
📰 Source Timeline (9)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
March 23, 2026
2:27 PM
Welcome to the spring of travel hell
New information:
- Axios connects the LaGuardia runway collision to broader worries about air traffic controller workload and staffing, framing it as part of a pattern that also includes a fatal midair collision near Washington, D.C., a year earlier.
- The piece notes that both the aircraft and the emergency vehicle were cleared to use the runway, underscoring potential systemic or procedural failures rather than a simple incursion.
1:55 PM
LaGuardia Airport collision between jet and fire truck kills pilot and copilot
New information:
- Confirms the dead are the pilot and copilot, both based out of Canada, per Port Authority executive director Kathryn Garcia.
- Specifies there were 72 passengers and four crew members aboard the Bombardier CRJ operated by Jazz Aviation for Air Canada.
- Clarifies that approximately 40 passengers and crew were taken to hospitals and that most have since been released.
- Adds that the fire truck was crossing the runway to respond to a separate United Airlines flight that had reported an 'issue with odor.'
- Reports that Newark Liberty International Airport operations were temporarily halted Monday morning after air-traffic controllers evacuated the tower due to a burning smell from an elevator, per FAA.
- Notes that LaGuardia will remain closed until at least 2 p.m. Monday to facilitate the NTSB investigation.
- Includes a public statement from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul expressing condolences and noting 'two pilots were killed and dozens injured.'
- Clarifies that air-traffic controllers themselves are not affected by the partial DHS shutdown, even as TSA staffing and funding issues drive long security lines.
1:02 PM
2 pilots killed after plane, firetruck collide at New York's LaGuardia Airport
New information:
- Confirms that the two people killed in the collision were the pilots of the Air Canada Express plane.
- Restates that dozens of people were injured in the incident.
- Reiterates that LaGuardia Airport is closed following the collision between the Air Canada Express plane and an emergency vehicle on the runway.
12:47 PM
2 pilots killed after plane collides with truck at LaGuardia Airport in NYC, officials say
New information:
- CBS segment confirms the collision was between an Air Canada Express plane and a fire-and-rescue vehicle on a LaGuardia runway, consistent with prior reports.
- Includes on-air analysis from former NTSB air safety investigator Gregory Feith about likely investigative focus and safety questions (procedures for emergency vehicle access to active runways, ATC coordination, etc.), though no concrete new facts about casualties or cause are provided in the clip text.
- Reiterates that officials have confirmed the deaths of both pilots in the collision.
10:45 AM
LaGuardia plane crash air traffic control audio reveals frantic call for truck to 'stop, stop, stop'
New information:
- Air traffic control audio released via LiveATC captures a controller repeatedly ordering 'Truck 1' to 'stop, stop' moments before the collision and then frantically diverting an incoming aircraft from landing.
- Fox article confirms at least 42 total injured: 39 passengers and crew transported to hospitals plus two Port Authority employees in the fire truck with non–life-threatening injuries.
- Port Authority executive director Kathryn Garcia reiterates that the pilot and copilot were based in Canada and that most injured passengers and crew have since been released from treatment.
- The article specifies that LaGuardia will remain closed until at least 2 p.m. Monday to facilitate the NTSB-led investigation.
8:46 AM
New York's LaGuardia Airport closed after jet collides with firefighting vehicle
New information:
- Confirms that two people were killed in the collision, according to a person familiar with the investigation.
- States that two Port Authority employees traveling in the fire truck were injured.
- Clarifies that the vehicle struck was a Port Authority aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle responding to a separate incident.
- Notes that LaGuardia Airport was closed as of 3 a.m. to facilitate the investigation.
- Includes details and quoted audio from air‑traffic‑control transmissions attempting to stop 'Truck 1' and divert incoming aircraft.
8:46 AM
A LaGuardia crash kills 2, hurts dozens and closes the airport. Here's what to know
New information:
- Identifies the flight as Air Canada Flight 8646, a CRJ‑900 operated by regional carrier Jazz Aviation from Montréal‑Trudeau to LaGuardia with 72 passengers and four crew.
- Confirms that 41 passengers and crew were transported to hospitals; 32 had been released as of early Monday, with nine remaining hospitalized and some serious injuries.
- Reports Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia’s statement that both pilots (pilot and first officer) were killed and that the two officers in the Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) vehicle were hospitalized in stable, non–life‑threatening condition.
- Details that the ARFF truck was on the runway at air traffic control’s discretion, responding to a separate 'odor' incident on a United Airlines plane, and that all runway movements require tower clearance.
- Provides air‑traffic‑control audio from LiveATC.net in which a controller clears the vehicle to cross, then frantically orders it to stop and later says, 'We were dealing with an emergency earlier and I messed up.'
- Notes that LaGuardia will be closed until at least 2 p.m. ET Monday to facilitate the NTSB investigation and that at least 573 flights into or out of the airport were canceled Monday morning, according to FlightAware.
5:47 AM
Air Canada jet hits fire truck, killing 2 and forcing New York's LaGuardia airport to close
New information:
- Confirms the struck Port Authority vehicle was an Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) truck responding to a separate incident on Runway 4.
- Specifies that two Port Authority pilots in the ARFF vehicle were killed and that more than 40 passengers, crew, and ARFF officers were transported to hospitals, with at least some suffering serious injuries.
- Provides the aircraft’s approximate ground speed at impact (about 24 mph per Flightradar24) and the exact reported time of the incident (about 11:40–11:47 p.m. on March 22, 2026).
- States that the FAA issued a ground stop and that LaGuardia is expected to remain closed until 2 p.m. Monday, with many inbound flights diverted or returned.
- Includes on‑record statements from Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia and a Port Authority spokesperson describing emergency protocols and confirming coordination with federal authorities.