Politics
Tragic Details Emerge From Fiery Crash On LaGuardia Airport Runway
An Air Canada Express regional jet arriving from Montreal smashed into a Port Authority fire truck on a LaGuardia Airport runway, killing both pilots and sending dozens of passengers, crew members and first responders to the hospital, officials said Monday.
The CRJ-900 was operated by Jazz Aviation, Air Canada’s regional partner. The aircraft was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members, Jazz said, citing a preliminary passenger list. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s office confirmed the crew included the captain, first officer and two flight attendants.
The pilot and co-pilot were killed in the collision, while more than 39 passengers and crew members and two Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting officers were hospitalized, a Port Authority spokesperson said. At least 32 have since been released, though some suffered “serious injuries,” Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia said at a news briefing.
One passenger described a violent, fast-moving impact sequence that left people bloodied and disoriented.
“As we were arriving, we came down really hard,” Jack Cabot said. “We stopped really quickly and about two seconds later we had an absolute slam. Everybody was flying everywhere, I mean, the plane started veering off left and right. And there was, it was just chaos.”
Update: 2 PILOTS KILLED, @PANYNJ CFR ARFF FIREFIGHTERS NLT INJURIES. #Laguardia #airplane #firefighters #crash 🙏 pic.twitter.com/fwXodKLbSg
— FirefighterCloseCall (@TheSecretList) March 23, 2026
“It didn’t feel like anyone was in control of anything,” Cabot continued. “Looking back on it, the pilot did the best thing he could. He hit the brakes as hard as he could and he knew it was going to be at the cost of his own life.”
Cabot said many passengers were bleeding from head injuries after the impact. “A lot of people got pretty hurt,” he said.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating. The FAA issued a ground stop for all planes at LaGuardia and said the airport was expected to remain closed until 2 p.m. Monday.
New York leaders reacted with alarm as questions mounted about how an emergency vehicle ended up in the path of a landing aircraft at one of the nation’s busiest airports.
An Air Canada plane collided with a Port Authority vehicle after landing at LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night, killing the pilot and co-pilot.
Nine people face significant injuries, including a flight attendant, Port Authority officials said.
LaGuardia Airport is closed until… pic.twitter.com/Qg6D299T4T
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) March 23, 2026
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called the incident “heartbreaking” and said, “Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and everyone affected.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he had been briefed and added, “The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident, and the City is in close contact with federal, state, and local partners.” He also said, “I am grateful to our first responders, whose swift actions saved lives.”
RELATED: BREAKING: Injuries Reported After Plane Collision At NYC’s LaGuardia Airport
City Comptroller Mark Levin called the collision “horrific,” writing, “My thoughts are with the victims and their families,” and adding, “Will be critical to learn what failures allowed this to happen.”
The runway crash also came as Newark Liberty International Airport briefly halted arrivals and departures Monday morning after air traffic controllers evacuated a control tower because of a burning smell coming from an elevator, the FAA said. The FAA later lifted that ground stop.
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