On the night of March 22, 2026, chaos erupted at New York’s LaGuardia Airport when an Air Canada Express regional jet collided with a fire truck on Runway 4, resulting in a deadly and disruptive incident that quickly drew national attention. The collision occurred just before 11:40 p.m. local time as the Bombardier CRJ-900, operated by Jazz Air on behalf of Air Canada Express, was arriving from Montreal. According to multiple reports, the crash left at least two people dead, several others critically injured, and forced the closure of one of the busiest airports in the United States.
Emergency vehicles swarmed the Queens airport in the aftermath, as described by eyewitnesses and confirmed by the Port Authority Police Department and the FDNY. The fire truck, part of the Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighter Unit and manned by Port Authority police officers, had been responding to a separate incident on the runway when the collision occurred. The jet, carrying 76 people—72 passengers and four crew members according to Jazz Aviation—struck the truck at a speed of about 24 miles per hour, as tracked by Flightradar24.
Photos and footage from the scene captured the severity of the incident: the front of the commuter plane was smashed, its nose and cockpit crumpled and tipped upward, while the fire truck lay mangled and toppled onto its side. Debris was scattered across the rain-slicked runway, and emergency personnel worked frantically to assess the wreckage and aid the injured. According to NBC News, the pilot and copilot of the aircraft were among those badly hurt, while a sergeant and an officer from the fire truck suffered broken limbs but were reported to be in stable condition at a local hospital.
One particularly harrowing detail emerged from the rescue efforts—a female flight attendant was ejected through the front of the aircraft while still strapped into her seat. Port Authority officers rushed to her aid, pulling her from the wreckage and transporting her to the hospital, as sources told The New York Post. The plane was also carrying a group of Orthodox Jewish passengers from the New York area, adding to the sense of shock and urgency as emergency responders worked to account for everyone on board.
Initial reports about the number and severity of injuries varied, with some outlets citing at least four firefighters critically injured and others reporting dozens of passenger injuries. There were also early, unconfirmed reports of fatalities, which were later corroborated by sources from Reuters and NBC News. The full extent of the injuries was still being assessed in the hours following the crash, as authorities worked to piece together exactly what happened.
Air traffic control audio obtained by several outlets, including Simple Flying, revealed the tense moments leading up to the collision. The fire truck, identified as Truck 1, had been cleared to cross Runway 4 at taxiway Delta by the tower controller. However, as the Air Canada jet approached, the controller could be heard repeatedly yelling, “Stop, stop, stop, stop. Stop Truck 1. Stop… Jazz 646? Jazz 646, I see you collided with a vehicle there. Just hold position.” The controller, reportedly working alone and handling both ground and tower operations due to another emergency, was unable to prevent the disaster as it unfolded in real time.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) responded swiftly, issuing a ground stop and suspending all operations at LaGuardia Airport. The closure began at 11:50 p.m. and was expected to last until at least 2 p.m. the following day, according to the FAA and LaGuardia’s official website. Inbound flights were diverted to John F. Kennedy International and Newark Liberty International airports, and passengers in the New York area were warned to expect significant delays and cancellations. The disruption rippled through the region’s air traffic system, with at least 18 flights diverted and countless travelers left scrambling for alternatives.
As investigators began their work, attention turned to the sequence of events leading up to the collision. The fire truck was responding to a separate emergency when it was cleared to cross the runway. Flightradar24 data showed the CRJ-900’s last recorded ground speed was 21 knots—roughly 24 miles per hour—but its speed at the moment of impact was likely higher. The regional jet, a 20-year-old aircraft registered as C-GNJZ, had departed Montreal more than two hours late and touched down at LaGuardia at 11:37 p.m., just minutes before the crash.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees LaGuardia, confirmed that its chairman and executive director were on scene to coordinate the response and investigation. “The Port Authority Police Department is on scene along with the agency’s Chairman and Executive Director. The airport is currently closed to facilitate the response and allow for a thorough investigation,” the department said in a statement to The New York Post. The FAA, National Transportation Safety Board, Air Canada, and Jazz Aviation all pledged to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation, though none provided immediate comment on the cause or responsibility for the accident.
LaGuardia Airport, which served over 30 million passengers in 2025 according to the Port Authority, is a critical hub for both domestic and international flights. The incident’s impact was felt far beyond the immediate scene, as New York City’s emergency notification system warned of cancellations, road closures, and traffic delays in the area. The closure of LaGuardia, even temporarily, underscored the vulnerability of major transportation infrastructure to unexpected disasters—and the vital importance of coordination among air traffic controllers, emergency responders, and airport authorities.
For the passengers and crew of Air Canada Express Flight 646, as well as the emergency responders involved, the night of March 22 will not soon be forgotten. As investigations continue and the airport slowly returns to normal operations, the incident stands as a stark reminder of the ever-present risks in aviation—and the extraordinary efforts of those who respond when disaster strikes.