An Air Canada Express Bombardier CRJ-900 jet operated by Jazz Aviation collided with a Port Authority fire truck while landing at New York's LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night, killing both pilots and injuring dozens of people. The aircraft was operating as Air Canada Flight AC8646 from Montreal with 72 passengers and four crew members on board.
Key Takeaways
An Air Canada Express Bombardier CRJ-900 jet collided with a Port Authority fire truck at New York's LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night, killing both pilots and injuring dozens. The crash occurred when the regional jet struck a firefighting truck responding to another incident. Investigators are focusing on potential issues with air traffic control coordination as a factor in the collision.
- Both pilots identified as Antoine Forest and Mackenzie Gunther
- 43 people injured, including two firefighters and 41 passengers
- Runway reopened Thursday morning after cleanup and investigation
- Air Canada CEO apologizes for English-only condolence message
The collision occurred around 11:37 p.m. EDT when the regional jet struck a firefighting truck that had been cleared to respond to a separate incident involving a United Airlines flight reporting an odor in the cabin. According to air traffic control audio recordings, controllers repeatedly shouted 'Truck One, stop, stop, stop!' before impact.
The crash crushed the front of the aircraft and left cables and debris dangling from its mangled cockpit. Emergency stairways were deployed for passengers to evacuate through emergency exits. About 43 people - including two firefighters and 41 passengers - suffered injuries ranging from minor to serious, according to multiple reports.
LaGuardia Airport reopened Monday afternoon after being closed for investigations while the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigates the crash site. The airport is one of New York's busiest hubs, handling over 32 million passengers in the last year and serving as a major gateway for business and leisure travel.
The collision comes amid already challenging conditions at U.S. airports due to long security lines caused by the government shutdown and busy spring break travel season. Newark Liberty International Airport briefly halted operations Monday morning after air traffic controllers evacuated its tower because of a burning smell, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Investigators are focusing on potential issues with air traffic control coordination as a factor in the crash. Runway crossings require close communication between ground and tower controllers to ensure clearance is properly managed. Early indications suggest that controllers may have been dealing with an emergency situation prior to the collision, according to multiple sources.
The incident has drawn attention from multiple levels of government. President Donald Trump described the crash as 'terrible' during a press briefing Monday morning, while Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed condolences and offered assistance with the investigation. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani thanked first responders for their actions, which he said helped save lives.
Jennifer Homedy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), stated that Runway 4 will be closed for days as they photograph evidence and sift through debris. The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have been retrieved from the aircraft and sent to Washington for analysis. Homedy mentioned that the ongoing partial government shutdown has impacted their investigation, causing delays in getting necessary personnel on site.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy addressed concerns about staffing levels at LaGuardia's air traffic control tower, calling rumors of a single controller inaccurate. He assured that LaGuardia is well-staffed with 33 out of 37 positions filled and seven more in training. Bryan Bedford, administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), explained that the fire truck was responding to an aborted takeoff by a United Airlines flight when it crossed Runway 4.
The NTSB has revealed conflicting information regarding who was handling ground-control duties at the time of the collision. Investigators are working to resolve inconsistencies in tower records, including discrepancies in dates and times. It remains unclear whether the local controller or the controller in charge was also serving as the ground controller, according to Homedy.
Homedy cautioned against pointing fingers at controllers and said this is a heavy workload environment. She noted that the NTSB has previously raised concerns about fatigue during midnight shifts, although there's no indication that was a factor in this incident.
The fire truck involved in the collision lacked equipment needed to trigger runway warning systems. The Airport Surface Detection System Model X (ASDE-X) did not generate an alert due to the close proximity of vehicles merging and unmerging near the runway, resulting in the inability to create a track of high confidence, according to Homedy.
Pilot safety concerns about LaGuardia airport were filed to aviation officials months before Sunday's collision. According to NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System, pilots have raised concerns about miscommunications and staffing issues at the airport.
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