Air Canada LaGuardia Crash Kills Two Pilots After Jet Strikes Port Authority Fire Truck Cleared to Cross Runway
An Air Canada Express CRJ‑900 arriving from Montréal struck a Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting truck crossing LaGuardia’s Runway 4 at about 11:45 p.m. on March 22, killing the pilot and copilot and sending roughly 40 passengers, crew and the two ARFF occupants to hospitals (most later released). Air‑traffic‑control audio and officials say the truck had been cleared to cross to respond to a separate odor incident, controllers urgently ordered it to stop moments before impact and later acknowledged errors; the NTSB is leading the investigation and the airport was closed for hours with many flights canceled or diverted.
📌 Key Facts
- Shortly before midnight on March 22, 2026 (about 11:40–11:47 p.m.), an Air Canada Express regional jet collided with a Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) truck while landing at LaGuardia Airport in New York.
- The flight was Air Canada Flight 8646, a Bombardier CRJ‑900 operated by Jazz Aviation from Montréal‑Trudeau, carrying about 72 passengers and four crew; both the pilot and copilot (based in Canada) were killed in the collision.
- The ARFF truck was crossing Runway 4 to respond to a separate United Airlines flight that reported a concerning 'odor'; tower audio and LiveATC recordings indicate the truck had been cleared to cross, then controllers frantically ordered it to stop and one controller later says on tape, 'I messed up.'
- About 40–42 passengers and crew were transported to hospitals (most have since been released), several with serious injuries; two Port Authority employees who were in the fire truck were also injured but their injuries were reported as not believed to be life‑threatening.
- Runway‑camera video shows the jet striking the ARFF truck—flipping the truck multiple times and shearing off the CRJ‑900's nose as the aircraft appeared to lose control on a rain‑soaked runway.
- LaGuardia was shut down after the crash; the FAA issued a ground stop, thousands of flights were disrupted (FlightAware reported hundreds of cancellations), the NTSB is leading the investigation, and the airport reopened Monday afternoon with limited operations (one runway) and significant delays.
- The collision and the tower audio have intensified scrutiny of air‑traffic control procedures and staffing; reporting places the accident in the broader context of systemic stress and controller shortages, even as officials say LaGuardia remains 'well‑staffed' but faces shortages.
- A named survivor detail: flight attendant Solange Tremblay was reported thrown from the aircraft while still strapped in her seat and suffered multiple leg fractures requiring surgery.
📊 Relevant Data
The ongoing air traffic controller shortage in the US is due to factors including government shutdowns, COVID-19 training delays, high workforce attrition from 2019-2024, and mandatory retirement policies requiring controllers to retire at age 56.
GAO: Air Traffic Controller Shortage Persists Despite ... — AVweb
During the 2026 DHS shutdown, there have been increased sick calls among air traffic controllers and TSA staff, worsening existing shortages and contributing to flight delays and potential safety issues.
How the government shutdown is making the air traffic controller shortage worse and leading to flight delays — Ohio Capital Journal
The last fatal accident at LaGuardia Airport before the 2026 incident was on March 22, 1992, when USAir Flight 405 crashed into Flushing Bay, killing 27 of the 51 people on board.
LaGuardia Airport has experienced two tragedies exactly 34 years apart — New York Post
The 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act contributed to significant US demographic shifts, with new immigrants, their children, and grandchildren accounting for 55% of population growth from 1965 to 2015, adding 72 million people.
Impact of immigration of U.S. population growth since 1965 — Working Immigrants
Recent immigration surges have contributed to rising US housing costs, particularly in rental markets, by increasing demand, with studies showing material impacts on affordability.
Fact Check Team: Immigration's impact on rising U.S. rental costs — CBS Austin
📰 Source Timeline (16)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
March 24, 2026
3:23 AM
What to know about the deadly collision between a jet and fire truck at NYC's LaGuardia Airport
New information:
- Confirms the pilot and copilot were the only fatalities among roughly 70 passengers and four crew, and that about 40 passengers and crew were taken to hospitals, with most released by Monday morning.
- Provides additional detail on the originating emergency: a United Flight 2384 reported a 'weird odor' making flight attendants ill, declared an emergency, and requested to return to the gate with fire response.
- Includes new quotes and controller audio summary, including the controller’s post‑collision admission on the tape: 'I messed up.'
- Adds specific survivor detail: flight attendant Solange Tremblay was thrown from the aircraft while still strapped in her seat, suffering multiple leg fractures requiring surgery.
- Clarifies operational impacts: LaGuardia fully shut down after the crash and reopened Monday afternoon with only one runway in operation and 'significant delays.'
- Notes weather conditions at the time (mist, fog, ~7‑knot winds) and that this is LaGuardia’s first fatal accident in more than 30 years.
March 23, 2026
11:41 PM
Investigation underway after plane slams into fire-rescue truck while landing at LaGuardia
New information:
- CBS recap piece reiterates that two pilots were killed and dozens of people were injured when an arriving Air Canada Express plane collided with a fire-and-rescue truck on a LaGuardia runway.
- Confirms that an official investigation is underway into the crash, without adding new technical findings beyond what earlier detailed coverage has reported.
10:50 PM
Deadly LaGuardia plane collision comes as U.S. air system faces significant stress
New information:
- PBS segment explicitly frames the LaGuardia collision within the broader context of a U.S. air system under 'considerable stress,' rather than treating it as an isolated incident.
- The report emphasizes that this deadly runway collision is part of a pattern of strain in aviation operations and staffing nationwide, implicitly connecting the crash to system‑wide pressure points.
- The piece underlines that dozens were injured in addition to the two pilots killed, reinforcing the scale of casualties while focusing audience attention on national air-safety implications.
8:07 PM
WATCH: Duffy and FAA chief hold news briefing on deadly collision at LaGuardia Airport
New information:
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at a Monday briefing that LaGuardia is 'well-staffed' but still faces 'shortages' of air traffic controllers.
- Officials reiterated that most of the roughly 40 passengers and crew taken to hospitals after the crash have since been released from treatment.
- Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia said the two Port Authority employees in the fire truck were injured but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
7:59 PM
LaGuardia plane crash video shows jet collide with fire truck after frantic air traffic control warning
New information:
- Runway‑camera video posted by 'FDNY Response Videos' shows the Air Canada jet rolling down Runway 4 and striking a Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting truck that is turning with emergency lights on.
- The collision flips the fire truck several times and shears the nose off the CRJ‑900 as it appears to lose control on a rain‑soaked runway.
- The article pairs the video with air‑traffic‑control audio in which a controller appears to clear the truck to cross, then shouts 'Stop, truck one. Stop… Stop, stop, stop, stop' moments before impact.
- A passenger, identified as Jack Cabot, describes seeing multiple passengers bleeding from their heads after evacuation and says 'a lot of people got pretty hurt.'
- LaGuardia officials confirm the airport had reopened by about 2 p.m. Monday but warn travelers to expect delays and cancellations as operations ramp back up.
6:57 PM
What to know about the collision between a plane and fire truck at New York's LaGuardia Airport
New information:
- Crash time specified as around 11:45 p.m. Sunday.
- Fire truck was crossing the runway to respond to a separate incident involving a concerning odor aboard another plane.
- Article notes tower audio shows the truck was initially cleared to cross the runway before a controller tried to cancel and repeatedly ordered it to stop, while diverting incoming aircraft.
- Confirms roughly 70 passengers and four crew were aboard the Jazz Aviation-operated Air Canada regional jet from Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.
- States that LaGuardia was shut down after the crash and reopened Monday afternoon.
- Clarifies that the two fatalities (pilot and copilot) were based in Canada; about 40 passengers and crew were taken to hospitals, most released by Monday morning.
- Adds context that the collision occurs amid a more than month-long partial DHS shutdown that is already causing long TSA lines, worker resignations and traveler frustration, though it notes it's too early to say whether the shutdown played a role.
4:59 PM
Air Canada passenger says pilot 'did the best thing he could,' describes deadly impact
New information:
- Eyewitness passenger Jack Cabot describes the landing as 'really hard' followed by an 'absolute slam,' with the aircraft veering left and right and 'chaos' in the cabin.
- Cabot says the pilot 'did the best thing he could' by braking hard to stop the plane, adding that the captain 'knew it was going to be at the cost of his own life.'
- The article confirms more than 39 passengers and crew plus at least two Port Authority firefighters were hospitalized, some seriously, and notes many passengers were bleeding from the head.
- New air‑traffic‑control audio includes a controller telling another pilot after the crash, 'I messed up,' in addition to repeated frantic orders for 'Truck 1' to 'stop, stop, stop.'
- President Donald Trump commented that 'they made a mistake' about the collision, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canadian officials are working closely with U.S. counterparts to investigate the 'deeply saddening' incident.
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.