Two people are dead, and others are seriously injured, after an Air Canada plane carrying dozens of passengers struck a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night.
Photo by Ramy Mahmoud
LaGuardia Airport remains closed through Monday afternoon as investigators examine a deadly late-night crash involving an Air Canada plane and a fire truck that left two pilots dead.
The tragic crash occurred at 11:30 p.m. on March 22, when the plane, Flight 8646 from Montreal with dozens of passengers on board, was landing at the Queens airport on Runway 4. As it touched down, it collided with an emergency response vehicle from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
The emergency vehicle was responding to a separate United Airlines plane that had reported an issue of odor when the collision occurred, Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia said on Monday morning.
The impact of the collision totaled the emergency vehicle and severely damaged the plane’s nose, which tipped upward. The rear of the plane slammed onto the tarmac.
The two pilots operating the Air Canada flight were pronounced dead at the scene. Their identities have been withheld, pending family notification.
All 72 passengers, along with four other crew members on the plane and two officers inside the rescue vehicle have been accounted for. Garcia said 41 passengers and crew were transported to Elmhurst and Presbyterian Hospitals immediately after the impact; 32 have since been released.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani was briefed on the incident.
He posted on X that LaGuardia Airport remained closed as of 9 am on Monday. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident.
“LaGuardia Airport is currently closed,” he said. “The Port Authority advises travelers to check with their airline for the latest flight information before coming to the airport.”
Garcia visited the officers from the fire truck who are in the hospital. She said they are in stable condition.
Rescue teams, including those from the NYPD, FDNY and Port Authority rushed to the scene after the strike occurred.
“The city is in close contact with federal, state, and local partners. I am grateful to our first responders, whose swift actions saved lives,” Mamdani said.
Air Canada has set up a hotline for friends and families of affected passengers: 1-800-961-7099.
Meanwhile, the Port Authority expects operations to resume at LaGuardia on or about 2 p.m. Monday as the investigation unfolds.
This is a developing story.
