2 pilots dead, dozens injured after Air Canada plane collides with fire truck at NYC’s LaGuardia Airport

An Air Canada jet collided with a fire truck while landing at New York’s LaGuardia airport late Sunday evening, killing two pilots and injuring dozens of passengers, officials said. The crash damaged the aircraft’s nose and prompted LaGuardia to shut down Monday morning, leading air traffic to be diverted.

The pilot and copilot of the Air Canada plane were killed, and 41 passengers and crew members, some with serious injuries, were taken to local hospitals. Of those injured, 32 have since been released, Kathryn Garcia, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said Monday morning.

Two of the injured were Port Authority employees who were inside the fire truck, according to Garcia. Their injuries were not believed to be life-threatening. Following the crash, a flight attendant was found still strapped in a jump seat after it had been ejected from the aircraft, multiple media outlets reported. The employee was injured, but is expected to survive.

The Air Canada plane, operated by Jazz Aviation, carried 72 passengers and 4 crew members.

“The airport will remain closed until at least 2 p.m. Monday to allow for a thorough investigation,” the Port Authority said in a statement.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani added a visit to LaGuardia to his public schedule for Monday, where he is expected to attend a briefing around 12:30 p.m. with Garcia.

The fire truck was traveling across the runway to respond to a separate incident on board a United Airlines flight that reported an odor issue. Moments before the crash, audio of an air traffic controller revealed that they gave clearance to a vehicle to cross part of the tarmac. Moments later, a controller can be heard saying, “Stop, stop, stop, truck 1 stop, truck 1, stop.”

Later in the audio transmission, a distraught controller is heard saying, “We were dealing with an emergency earlier. I messed up.”

Preliminary data show that the Air Canada plane was traveling between 93 and 105 mph when it collided with the fire truck, ABC News reported, citing FlightRadar24.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a Monday morning post on X that he was on his way to LaGuardia, adding that the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are working together on this. “We will share updates as soon as possible,” Duffy wrote.

President Trump called the fatal accident “terrible” as he answered a question from a reporter on Monday morning in Florida. “They made a mistake. It’s a dangerous business. That’s terrible,” Trump said.

An Air Canada passenger recounted her experience on board the plane as it collided with the fire truck. “When we landed, everyone felt it,” Rebecca Liquori told News 12. “It was like the plane jolted and you heard the pilot try to brake, like he was trying to prevent the collision.”

“A couple seconds later, it was just a very loud boom and everybody just jolted out of their seats, people hit their heads, people were bleeding,” Liquori recalled.

The fatal accident adds to airport disruptions in the U.S. linked to the ongoing partial government shutdown. Transportation Security Administration employees have been working without pay since the shutdown began on Feb. 14, prompting thousands to call out of work. Staffing shortages have plagued U.S. airports, leading to long lines and extended wait times.

Meanwhile, Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey had to temporarily pause flight arrivals and departures on Monday morning after a burning smell came from an elevator in the air traffic control tower, prompting controllers to evacuate. No injuries were reported and the delay lasted less than an hour. It was not related to Sunday’s fatal accident at LaGuardia.

This is a developing story. Refresh this page for updates.