Two pilots dead, dozens hurt in LaGuardia runway collision

Two Canadian pilots are dead and more than 40 people were hospitalised after an Air Canada Express regional jet collided with a Port Authority fire truck on a runway at LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night, in what is shaping up to be the most serious U.S. aviation incident in years.

Air Canada Express Flight AC8646, a CRJ-900 operated by Jazz Aviation, was arriving from Montreal when it struck a Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle on Runway 4 at approximately 11:45 p.m. ET. The fire truck had been dispatched to respond to an unrelated odour reported on a United Airlines aircraft when it was struck.

All 41 people taken to hospital — 39 from the aircraft and two Port Authority firefighting officers — included a range of injuries, with 32 released by Monday morning, though some remain in serious condition. One person suffered a brain bleed, while a flight attendant strapped to her seat fell through an opening in the severed aircraft.

CNN reported that the nose of the plane was almost completely destroyed on impact, as images shared by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy — who said he was en route to the airport — confirmed the catastrophic structural damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board launched a "go team" to investigate, with former NTSB chair Robert Sumwalt estimating the inquiry could take 12 to 18 months. Investigators are expected to scrutinise air traffic control communications, cockpit voice recordings, and vehicle movement protocols during emergency responses. Chilling audio has already emerged of an air traffic controller saying "I messed up" in the moments after the collision.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she had been fully briefed on the incident, offering condolences to the families of the two pilots, who were both based in Canada.

LaGuardia reopened a single runway at 2 p.m. Monday, but passengers were warned to expect significant ongoing disruption.