2 pilots killed, LaGuardia Airport closed after Air Canada plane collides with vehicle

ANGELA WEISS / AFP via Getty Images
- Two pilots were killed after an Air Canada plane collided with a ground vehicle at LaGuardia Airport.
- Photos from the scene showed the plane on the ground, at an angle, its nose severely damaged.
- The airport will remain closed until at least 2 p.m. ET as federal investigators examine the incident.
An Air Canada aircraft collided with a ground vehicle at New York's LaGuardia Airport late Sunday, killing two pilots and forcing the airport to shut down as investigators examine the crash.
The Air Canada Express flight, a CRJ-900 operated by Jazz Aviation — a Canadian regional carrier that runs shorthaul flights on behalf of Air Canada — struck a Port Authority rescue and firefighting vehicle on the airfield shortly after landing, authorities said.
New York Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia told reporters early Monday morning that two pilots on board the aircraft were confirmed dead. New York Port Authority told Business Insider another 41 people were transported to the hospital, including 39 flight passengers and two officers.
Garcia said the fire truck involved in the collision was responding to a separate United Airlines aircraft that had reported an odor issue. Two officers in the truck were taken to hospital and are in stable condition with no life-threatening injuries, she added.
The airport will remain closed until at least 2 p.m. ET Monday to allow the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate, Garcia said, adding that federal investigators are already on-site.
Jazz Aviation said in a statement on its website that the plane was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members. The statement did not provide information about the number of injuries or deaths.
Air Canada has set up a helpline for friends and family of passengers on flight AC8646.
We have set up a phone line for friends and family of passengers on Air Canada Express flight #AC8646 on Mar. 22,2026; they can call 1-800-961-7099 for assistance.
— Air Canada (@AirCanada) March 23, 2026
The flight left Montreal around 10:35 p.m. E.T., and touched down at LaGuardia at 11:37 p.m., per data from flight tracking website Flightradar24.
"The airport is currently closed to facilitate the response and allow for a thorough investigation," the Port Authority spokesperson said in the statement.
Per Flightradar24, 271 flights at LaGuardia were canceled on Monday.

AP Photo/Ryan Murphy
An air traffic control recording from LiveATC.net appeared to capture the moments before the collision. In the recording, a controller urgently instructs the vehicle to stop. A few minutes later, the controller announces there was an incident on the airfield.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop notice for all planes at LaGuardia Airport, per a notice by the agency.
A New York City Fire Department spokesperson told Business Insider that the department had responded to a call at 11:38 p.m., about an incident involving a plane and a vehicle on the runway.
LaGuardia is one of the three major commercial airports serving New York. It said in an X post earlier on Sunday that "weather conditions have caused LGA Airport flight disruptions," and advised passengers to "check with your airline to determine the status of your flight."
LaGuardia served over 30 million passengers in 2025, per the Port Authority.