Air Canada plane crash at LaGuardia Airport: 5 things to know as pilot, co-pilot killed

An Air Canada plane collided with a firetruck at LaGuardia Airport, resulting in the deaths of the pilot and co-pilot.

A plane that was landing at LaGuardia Airport struck an emergency vehicle on the runway, resulting in the deaths of the pilot and co-pilot, as well as severe injuries to two Port Authority police officers, NBC New York reported, citing its sources.

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The incident took place after 11:30 p.m. on Sunday at the Queens airport, according to officials from the FDNY. An Air Canada aircraft was approaching the conclusion of its landing process when it collided with a Port Authority firetruck operated by police officers that was situated on the runway, two sources familiar with the situation told the outlet.

Giving update about the situation following the collision, Kathryn Garcia, the executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which manages the airport, stated in a press conference on Monday that the two Port Authority workers sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Both the pilot and co-pilot were based out of Canada, Garcia informed.

The airport will stay closed until at least 2 p.m. on Monday to assist with the probe being conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board.

5 things to know about Air Canada plane crash at LaGuardia Airport

1. The National Transportation Safety Board has announced the deployment of a go team to examine the collision. The team is expected to reach the location today, NTSB said in a post on X.
2. The fire truck involved in the collision with the Air Canada flight last night was attending to an unrelated matter concerning a United flight, which had reported a smell. Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia stated at a news conference that “the vehicle was responding to another aircraft operated by United that had reported an issue with odor.”
3. A total of 72 passengers and four crew members were on board the aircraft, which was a Jazz Aviation flight operating for Air Canada, as per the airline. The flight took off from Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, the primary airport serving Montreal.
4. Before the crash, an air traffic controller was heard over a radio transmission granting permission for a vehicle to traverse a section of the tarmac, followed by attempts to halt its movement. “Stop, Truck 1. Stop,” the transmission states. The controller can be heard urgently redirecting incoming aircraft to prevent them from landing.
5. While emergency protocols had been promptly activated, US aviation authorities have mandated the grounding of all flights at the airport due to a “high” probability of a prolonged suspension. “The airport is currently closed to facilitate the response and allow for a thorough investigation,” the port official told AFP.