An Air Canada Express regional jet collided with a ground vehicle while landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, killing both pilots and injuring dozens of people.
The aircraft, a CRJ-900 operated by Jazz Aviation, was arriving from Montreal with 72 passengers and four crew members on board when it struck a fire truck on the runway.
The fire truck had been responding to a separate incident involving another aircraft and had been cleared by air traffic control to cross the runway moments before the collision. Controllers were heard urgently instructing the vehicle to stop, but the jet hit it at around 24 mph.
Emergency crews work around an Air Canada Express jet that had collided with a ground vehicle at New York’s La Guardia Airport in Queens, New York, U.S. March 23, 2026. REUTERS
Investigators inspect the wreckage of a fire truck after it collided with an Air Canada Express jet that was landing at LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York, U.S. March 23, 2026. REUTERS
Damage to an Air Canada Express jet that had collided with a ground vehicle at New York’s La Guardia Airport in Queens, New York, U.S. March 23, 2026. REUTERS
Both the pilot and co-pilot were killed. At least 41 people were taken to hospital, including passengers, crew and firefighters, with several reported seriously injured.
The impact caused significant damage to the aircraft’s nose and overturned the emergency vehicle. Passengers were evacuated as emergency crews responded.
A bus transports plane crash survivors after an Air Canada Express jet collided with a ground vehicle at LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York, U.S., March 23, 2026. REUTERS
Emergency crews work around a ground vehicle following a collision between the vehicle and an Air Canada Express jet at New York’s LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York, U.S. March 23, 2026. REUTERS
LaGuardia Airport was temporarily shut down following the crash, leading to widespread flight cancellations and delays affecting hundreds of services.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration have launched an investigation into the incident, which adds to growing concerns about aviation safety and runway operations.
