Air Canada Plane Collides with Fire Truck at LaGuardia, Killing Two Pilots and Injuring Dozens

Crews at New York’s LaGuardia Airport have begun clearing the wreckage of an Air Canada plane involved in a fatal collision with a Port Authority fire truck, which occurred on Sunday night. The crash resulted in the deaths of two pilots and injuries to more than 40 passengers and crew members. As of Wednesday, all but four of the injured individuals have been released from hospitals, according to Air Canada. The remaining patients’ conditions have not been publicly detailed.

The collision took place shortly after the Air Canada flight, originating from Montreal, had landed. The aircraft, operated by regional carrier Jazz Aviation as Flight 8646, struck a fire truck that had been cleared by an air traffic controller to cross the runway. The impact destroyed the plane’s cockpit and left the fire truck overturned. Airport workers began towing the damaged plane off the runway on Wednesday afternoon, using heavy equipment to move the tail section and cut away the obliterated nose. The fire truck was also righted and moved to a secure location for the ongoing investigation.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched a comprehensive investigation into the incident. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy revealed that multiple air traffic controllers on duty at the time have been interviewed, including the controller who authorized the fire truck’s runway crossing. Homendy expressed concern over the high workload faced by the controllers during the event, noting that they were managing an emergency and several flights simultaneously. The investigation is also examining the failure of the Airport Surface Detection Equipment, Model X (ASDE-X) safety system, which did not issue an alert due to the complex movement of vehicles near the runway.

The crash has drawn attention to longstanding safety issues at LaGuardia Airport. A review of Federal Aviation Administration data shows at least 132 runway incursions involving vehicles since 2000, including 17 incidents with maintenance and support vehicles. Survivors of the crash have praised the pilots’ quick reflexes and braking, which likely mitigated the severity of the impact. Meanwhile, Air Canada is working to move the aircraft to a secured hangar and begin the process of returning passengers’ belongings. The airline has also faced criticism in Canada for the CEO’s initial response to the tragedy, which was delivered only in English, prompting calls for a bilingual statement. The Canadian parliament’s language committee has summoned the CEO to appear for questioning.