Pilot, Co-Pilot Killed In LaGuardia Runway Crash Involving Air Canada Express Jet

An Air Canada Express regional jet collided with a firefighting vehicle while landing at New York's LaGuardia Airport late on Sunday, triggering a temporary shutdown of the busy airport, killing both pilots and injuring dozens of others. The crash, involving a CRJ-900 aircraft arriving from Montreal, led to emergency response operations, flight diversions and an investigation by US authorities.

Air Canada Express Plane Hit Ground Vehicle On Runway

The aircraft, operated by Air Canada's regional partner Jazz Aviation, struck a Port Authority aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle shortly after landing at LaGuardia Airport. According to initial reports, the collision took place on Runway 4 during runway operations late Sunday night.

The Air Canada Express flight had arrived from Montreal and was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members, based on a preliminary passenger list that was still subject to confirmation.

Pilot And Co-Pilot Killed, Several Others Injured

According to US media reports, the pilot and co-pilot of the aircraft were killed in the collision. Dozens of others were also injured in the crash.

The firefighting vehicle involved in the incident was reportedly occupied by police personnel. A sergeant and an officer suffered broken limbs and were taken to hospital, where they were said to be in stable condition.

Flight Landed Moments Before Impact

Flight tracking data cited in reports showed that the CRJ-900 landed at around 11:37 p.m. local time before striking the ground vehicle at roughly 24 miles per hour during runway operations.

Images from the scene showed major damage to the aircraft's nose section, with the front of the plane appearing heavily impacted and tilted upward. Emergency crews were seen surrounding the jet as rescue efforts continued through the night.

LaGuardia Shut Down, Flights Diverted As Probe Begins

Following the crash, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) imposed a ground stop and temporarily shut LaGuardia Airport to incoming flights to allow emergency crews to respond and investigators to secure the scene.

Flight tracking data indicated that at least 18 flights were diverted to other airports or sent back to their point of origin after the incident.

LaGuardia, which handled more than 30 million passengers in 2025, remained closed for several hours as officials assessed the damage and began a formal investigation. Authorities did not immediately provide additional details on what caused the collision.