Pilot, co-pilot killed after plane hits truck on runway at LaGuardia airport: Here's what we know

The pilot and co-pilot of an Air Canada plane died in a deadly collision with a fire truck while landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.

The airport following after the collision has been closed for all sorts of operations.

The plane hit an emergency truck on the runway after 11:30pm on Sunday, March 22, at the Queens airport, according to the officials of the Fire Department of New York.

The FDNY officials, the collision besides killing Air Canada pilot and co-pilot, injured two Port Authority police officers, who were shifted to a nearby medical facility.

An Air Canada plane was on final approach when it collided with a Port Authority firetruck operated by police officers that was positioned on the runway.

Multiple media reports indicate that there were 72 passengers including four crew members, onboard Air Canada Express.

The collision has caused a dozen people on board with multiple injuries, many of whom were taken to Elmhurst Hospital or Queens Presbyterian Hospital, per NBC New York.

Flight AC8646, a Jazz Aviation flight operating as Air Canada Express, had taken off from Montréal Sunday evening, according to a Jazz Aviation statement. Air Canada said it was aware of the incident at LaGuardia as well.

The Air Canada Express model number CRJ-900 plane operated by its partner Jazz Aviation had 72 passengers and four crew members on board that had taken off from Montreal, as reported by The Guardian.

The aircraft struck the fire truck while traveling about 24mph, according to the flight-tracking website Flightradar24, which transmitted its last data at 11:37pm.

As per the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which said the airport would remain closed until 2 pm on Monday, March 23, 2026.