2 min readUpdated: Mar 23, 2026 04:11 PM IST
An Air Canada Express plane collided with a fire truck on the runway at New York’s LaGuardia airport on Monday evening, killing the pilot and co-pilot and causing incoming traffic to be diverted, Reuters has reported.
The CRJ-900 plane, which was coming in from Montreal, struck the Port Authority vehicle at a speed of about 24 miles per hour (39 kph) while landing, the agency reported Flightradar24 as showing.
There were 72 passengers and four crew members on board the aircraft, a Jazz Aviation flight operating on behalf of Air Canada, according to a statement from the airline. Jazz Aviation is Air Canada’s regional partner.
The flight originated at Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, the major airport serving Montreal. It struck a rescue and firefighting vehicle that was responding to a separate incident at about 11:45 p.m. The airport was closed as of 3 a.m. to facilitate the investigation, reported the Associated Press.
FAA orders halt, flights diverted
Following the incident, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered all flights at the airport to stop until 05:30 GMT. It said the decision was taken due to an emergency and that the delay could be extended. The FAA has not specified any other details.
LaGuardia’s website showed arriving planes had been diverted to other airports or returned to their point of origin.
In a separate notice to airmen, the FAA said that the airport could be shut until 1800 GMT.
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The New York Fire Department in a statement said that it was responding to a reported incident involving a plane and a vehicle on the runway at LaGuardia airport.
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