Runway collision kills two pilots at New York airport

Two pilots were killed and dozens injured after an Air Canada plane collided with a fire truck on a runway at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, US authorities reported on Monday.

The crash late on Sunday brought flights at the busy airport to a halt, with the Bombardier jet left tilted back on its tail, its cockpit destroyed, beside the damaged emergency vehicle.

By 2:00 pm (1800 GMT) on Monday, the airport said flights had resumed, but travellers were still advised to expect delays and cancellations.

US aviation investigators, assisted by their Canadian counterparts, have opened an inquiry into what appears to be LaGuardia’s first fatal accident since 1992.

An audio recording from the air traffic control tower revealed that a controller had cleared the fire truck, which was responding to a separate incident, to cross the runway before urgently ordering it to stop.

“Stop, truck one, stop!” the controller said moments before the collision. An alarm can then be heard.

Surveillance footage shared by US media captured the moment the plane struck the rescue vehicle as it crossed the runway, sending both tumbling along the tarmac.

The pilot and co-pilot were killed in the crash, officials confirmed.

“These were two young men at the start of their careers, so it’s an absolute tragedy that we are faced with their loss,” Bryan Bedford, head of the Federal Aviation Administration, told reporters.

More than 40 other people were taken to hospital, though many were discharged by Monday afternoon, said Kathryn Garcia, head of New York’s Port Authority. She added that the two men in the fire truck were expected to recover.

The aircraft, a CRJ-900, was operated by Jazz Aviation, a regional partner of Air Canada, flying into LaGuardia from Montreal as Flight 8646. A preliminary passenger list indicated 76 people were on board, including four crew members, Jazz Aviation said.

‘Everyone was screaming.'

Jack Cabot, a passenger on the flight, described a chaotic scene as the plane “immediately hit something” after a hard landing.

“Everyone was hunkered down, everyone was screaming, and we didn’t have any directions because the pilots’ cabin was destroyed,” he told US media. “So someone said, 'Let's get the emergency exit, let’s get the door and all jump out,’ and that’s exactly what we did.”

US President Donald Trump described the crash as "terrible", saying, “They made a mistake. It’s a dangerous business.”

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called the incident “deeply saddening", adding, X: “Canadian officials are working closely with their US counterparts on the ground as the investigation continues. My thoughts are with the victims, their families, and all those impacted.”

Transport Secretary Sean Duffy told reporters that LaGuardia is a “very well-staffed airport", responding to rumours that only one controller was on duty late on Sunday. Air traffic controller shortages are a known issue across the US, and the government has been increasing recruitment efforts.

Hundreds of flights were cancelled due to the crash, and AFP journalists saw travellers lying on the terminal floor at LaGuardia on Monday.

Located in the borough of Queens, LaGuardia is New York’s third-busiest airport, handling 33.5 million passengers in 2024, according to Port Authority figures. It completed an $8 billion redevelopment in 2024, upgrading terminals and roadways.

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