Air Canada Express Jet Collides with Port Authority Vehicle at LaGuardia

An Air Canada Express regional jet was involved in a tragic accident late Sunday night at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. The aircraft crashed into a Port Authority vehicle shortly after landing, resulting in two fatalities and prompting the airport’s closure.

The CRJ-900, arriving from Montreal, was traveling at approximately 34 km/h just before midnight, based on data from flight tracking services. Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia confirmed in a press conference that both pilots lost their lives in the incident. Additionally, over 40 individuals, including passengers and crew, were hospitalized.

“We understand that 32 people have been released from the hospital, but some individuals are in serious condition,” Garcia noted. “Regrettably, both pilots have been pronounced dead, and their families have been contacted by Air Canada’s care team.”

Passengers on the flight included 72 individuals and four crew members, as stated by Jazz Aviation, which operates flights for Air Canada. The incident occurred at around 11:47 p.m., according to preliminary passenger data.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) declared an emergency, leading to the grounding of all aircraft at LaGuardia, with expectations for closure until 2 p.m. on Monday. Arriving flights were diverted to other airports or sent back to their departure points.

A spokesperson for the Port Authority explained, “Around 11:40 p.m., a Jazz Aviation flight on behalf of Air Canada collided with a Port Authority aircraft rescue and fire vehicle responding to an incident on Runway 4.” Emergency protocols were activated immediately, and authorities were on-site to manage the situation and initiate an investigation.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s office also confirmed the collision, which impacted the Port Authority fire truck after the plane landed. The New York City Fire Department issued a statement regarding the accident but didn’t elaborate further.

Videos from the scene illustrated significant damage to the front of the aircraft. The National Transportation Safety Board announced it would deploy a team to investigate the incident involving Jazz Aviation Air Canada Express Flight 8646.

As passengers coped with the fallout, Air Canada announced a support line for family members of those on the flight. Meanwhile, the ongoing lack of funding for the Department of Homeland Security has already caused disruptions throughout airports nationwide, resulting in long lines and TSA personnel working without pay. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is expected to provide assistance at the airport following the incident.