Ground Collision: Air Canada Plane Hits Service Vehicle at New York's LaGuardia Airport ✈️

Ground Collision: Air Canada Plane Hits Service Vehicle at New York's LaGuardia Airport ✈️:

Air Canada flight collides with a Port Authority vehicle at New York's LaGuardia Airport.

An Air Canada Express CRJ-900 sits on the runway after colliding with a Port Authority fire truck at LaGuardia Airport in New York, on March 23, 2026. The ground vehicle had requested permission and had been cleared by the air traffic controller to cross Runway 4 at taxiway Delta, according to audio recordings.

A serious ground collision occurred late Sunday night, March 22, 2026, at New York's LaGuardia Airport (LGA) involving an Air Canada Express flight and a Port Authority service vehicle.

​Incident Overview

​At approximately 11:45 PM, Air Canada Express Flight 8646 (a Bombardier CRJ-900 operated by Jazz Aviation) was landing on Runway 4 after arriving from Montreal. According to flight-tracking data, the aircraft struck a Port Authority Rescue and Firefighting vehicle at a speed of approximately 24 mph (39 kph).

​The service vehicle was reportedly responding to a separate, unrelated incident at the airport at the time of the collision.

​Casualties and Injuries

​Fatalities: Both the pilot and co-pilot of the Air Canada Express aircraft were killed in the collision.

​Injuries: Reports regarding injuries to passengers and ground crew vary, but officials indicate that at least 13 people were transported to hospitals. This includes two Port Authority employees (a sergeant and an officer) who were in the fire truck; both are reported to be in stable condition with broken limbs.

​Passengers: There were 72 passengers and 4 crew members on board.

​Airport Status and Investigation

​Airport Closure: LaGuardia Airport was immediately shut down following the crash. A ground stop was issued, and the FAA has indicated the airport may remain closed until 2:00 PM ET on Monday, March 23, to allow for an investigation.

​Damage: Visuals from the scene show severe damage to the nose and cockpit area of the regional jet, which was left tilted upward on the runway. The fire truck was found lying on its side.

​ATC Communications: Audio recordings from Air Traffic Control (ATC) captured a controller urgently shouting, "Stop, Truck 1! Stop, stop, stop!" just moments before the impact occurred.

​The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched a "Go Team" to investigate the cause of the collision and determine why the vehicle and aircraft were on the same path.