A tragic incident occurred at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Monday when an Air Canada Express regional jet collided with a fire truck during its landing. The accident resulted in the deaths of both the pilot and co-pilot, as confirmed by authorities and reports from various U.S. media outlets.

The collision also left several others injured. According to ABC, 13 people, including 11 passengers and two first responders, were hospitalized following the crash. Both CNN and NBC corroborated the fatalities of the pilot and co-pilot.

Sources informed news outlets that the fire truck involved in the accident was operated by police officers. NBC News provided additional details, reporting that a sergeant and an officer sustained broken limbs but were in stable condition at the hospital.

The jet, managed by Jazz Aviation—a regional affiliate of Air Canada—collided with the firefighting vehicle on the runway just before midnight local time. The vehicle was responding to a separate emergency when the accident occurred, according to the Port Authority of New York.

Jazz Aviation revealed in a statement that the flight had a total of 76 individuals on board, including four crew members.

In response to the incident, U.S. aviation authorities ordered a temporary halt to all flights at LaGuardia Airport. Officials indicated that there was a “high” chance that the suspension could be prolonged.

The aircraft struck the fire vehicle at a speed of about 39 km/h, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24.

Photos taken after the accident showed visible damage to the nose of the plane, which was tilted upward.

Authorities and emergency agencies did not offer any immediate comments on deaths or injuries.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the airport was expected to remain shut until 2pm local time on Monday. More than a dozen flights were diverted to other airports, mostly in the New York area, or returned to their point of origin, according to FlightRadar24.

Air Canada referred Reuters to Jazz’s statement and said it was aware of the incident. The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

New York City’s emergency notification system said people could expect cancellations, road closures, traffic delays and emergency personnel near the airport.

Located in the New York borough of Queens, LaGuardia is New York’s third-busiest airport, serving 33.5 million passengers in 2024, according to port authority figures.

It completed an $8 billion redevelopment in 2024, upgrading its ageing infrastructure with new terminals and roadways.

Deadly air crashes in the United States in recent years include a collision between a passenger jet and an army helicopter near Washington in January 2025 that killed 67 people.

Other incidents and close calls have taken place while aircraft were on the ground.

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