Two people have died, and dozens more have been injured, following a serious collision between an Air Canada plane and a Port Authority vehicle at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
The pilot and co-pilot of the Air Canada Express flight 8646, operated by Jazz Aviation, both died in the incident in which a plane collided with a Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle, which was responding to a separate incident on the runway.
The airline confirmed that the crash occurred at approximately 11:47 p.m. and that the preliminary passenger list indicates the Air Canada AC8646 was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members.
A total of 41 people were injured in the crash, although 32 people have since been released from the hospital, Kathryn Garcia, the executive director of the airport’s operator, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said at a Monday-morning press conference.
Two Port Authority police officers were seriously injured in the crash, sustaining broken bones and other injuries, but are expected to survive, sources told the New York Post. At least four firefighters are also believed to have been injured when the plane collided with their vehicle.
CBS News’ Senior Transportation & National Correspondent Kris Van Cleave reported late on Sunday evening, “An absolutely horrific accident at LGA tonight. An Air Canada CRJ-900 collided with a vehicle on the runway after landing. We don’t know the extent of the injuries yet. The damage to the plane looks to be significant.”
Reporting from the site of the crash, CNN’s Gloria Pazmino said that the nose of the plane was “almost completely blown out” from the impact.
According to FlightRadar, the flight originated in Montreal. ABC7 reported that the flight was rolling down runway 4 at around 30 mph when it collided with a vehicle that was also crossing the runway.
The Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle was responding to reports of an unknown smell coming from the cockpit of another plane at the time of the crash, CNN reported.
There will be no flights into or out of LaGuardia Airport until at least 2 p.m. ET on Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration said in an alert.
At least 18 flights have been diverted from LaGuardia since the incident. Poor weather had earlier disrupted operations at the airport, Bloomberg noted, in addition to chaos stemming from delays at TSA checkpoints at airports around the country as a result of the partial government shutdown impacting funding to the Department of Homeland Security.
As of 2023, LaGuardia was New York’s third busiest airport, after Kennedy and Newark, and the 19th busiest in the United States by passenger volume.
New York’s official emergency notification system warned residents to expect cancellations, road closures, and traffic delays in the area, and advised people to use alternative routes while emergency personnel continue to attend the scene.
“Due to an emergency incident at LaGuardia Airport, all streets and highway exits into the airport are closed until further notice. Expect delays and avoid the area if possible,” the NYPD said in a post on X.
The Daily Beast has contacted Air Canada and the FAA for comment.
