A newly surfaced video captures a shocking incident where an Air Canada aircraft collided with a fire truck on the runway at New York City’s LaGuardia Airport, resulting in the tragic deaths of both pilots.
The footage, shared by FDNY Response Videos, depicts the jet barreling down Runway 4 and crashing into a Port Authority fire truck, which was navigating a turn with its emergency lights flashing at approximately 11:45 p.m. on Sunday.
An Air Canada jet is seen on the runway at LaGuardia Airport on Monday, March 23, 2026, following a collision with a Port Authority vehicle in New York City. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
The collision caused the emergency vehicle to flip multiple times, while the aircraft appeared to struggle for control on the slick, rain-drenched runway.
In a recording of air traffic control communications moments before the impact, a controller initially clears the fire truck to cross the runway but urgently attempts to halt the vehicle’s movement upon realizing the imminent danger.
After the collision, an Air Canada Express CRJ-900 is stationary on the runway at LaGuardia Airport on March 23, 2026, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
“Stop, truck one. Stop,” the transmission said. “Frontier 4195, stop there please. Stop, stop, stop, stop.”
The aircraft then strikes the fire truck, ripping the nose off the plane.
At the time of the collision, the jet was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members, according to officials.
Departures board shows canceled flights at LaGuardia Airport after an Air Canada Jet collision in New York, Monday, March 23, 2026. The Air Canada Jet hit a Port Authority aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle after landing. (Dario Alequin for Fox News Digital)
Both pilots aboard the CRJ-900 aircraft were killed in the collision, though their identities have not yet been made public.
Dozens of passengers aboard the plane were also hurt in the crash, and at least two Port Authority firefighters in the truck also suffered “serious injuries,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.
A Port Authority spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital that the Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle was responding to a separate incident as the aircraft was landing on Runway 4 at LaGuardia.
Jack Cabot, a passenger aboard the flight, described many of the passengers as bleeding from their heads.
“I remember looking behind me after we got off and there was some guy with just blood coming off his face,” he said. “A lot of people got pretty hurt.”
By 2 p.m. Monday, officials announced LaGuardia airport had reopened, adding travelers should expect delays or flight cancellations from their airlines as officials work to resume normal operations.
“LaGuardia Airport is now open, expect delays and/or cancellations,” airport officials posted on X. “Plan ahead and check with your airline for the latest updates.”
