An Air Canada aircraft collided with a ground vehicle at New York’s LaGuardia Airport late Sunday, killing two pilots and forcing the airport to shut down as investigators examined the crash.
The airport was reopened with operations limited to a single runway, as of 2 p.m. Eastern on Monday. As of early evening, LaGuardia’s other main runway was still closed, with the wreckage of the Air Canada plane still in place.
The Air Canada Express flight, a CRJ-900 operated by Jazz Aviation — a Canadian regional carrier that runs shorthaul flights on behalf of Air Canada — struck a Port Authority rescue and firefighting vehicle on the airfield shortly after landing, authorities said.
Flight AC8646 was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members, Jazz Aviation said in a statement. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey told Business Insider that 41 people were transported to the hospital, including 39 flight passengers and two officers who were in the truck; 32 of those people have been released.
The remaining runway closure is expected to slow traffic and reduce capacity. The airport told travelers to “expect residual delays and cancellations” and to check with their airlines for the latest flight information.
About 600 flights at LaGuardia had been canceled on Monday as of the afternoon, per the flight-tracking website Flightradar24.
Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau said in a video on X that the airline is focused on caring for its people and guests. He told anyone who thinks they may have a loved one on the flight to call 1-800-961-7099 for assistance.
‘Stop, stop, stop’
The flight left Montreal around 10:35 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday and touched down at LaGuardia at 11:37 p.m., per data from Flightradar24.
A New York City Fire Department spokesperson told Business Insider the department responded to a call at 11:38 p.m. about an incident involving a plane and a vehicle on the runway.
The airport was officially closed at 3:16 a.m Eastern, per an FAA alert.
New York and New Jersey Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia told reporters early Monday morning that two pilots on the aircraft were confirmed dead.
Garcia said the fire truck involved in the collision was responding to a separate United Airlines aircraft that had reported an odor issue. The two officers in the truck who were taken to the hospital are in stable condition with no life-threatening injuries.
An air traffic control recording from LiveATC.net captured the moments before the collision. In the recording, a controller can be heard clearing the truck to cross Runway 4.
Shortly after, they are heard urgently instructing the vehicle to stop and telling a separate plane to abort its landing and go around.
“Stop, stop, stop, stop truck 1,” the controller can be heard saying. “Stop, stop, stop!” The controller then says there was an incident on the airfield and that the runway is closed.
The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the incident, and federal investigators are on-site, Garcia said.
Jazz Aviation said it was cooperating with authorities investigating the crash. Air Canada has set up a helpline for friends and family of passengers on the flight.
We have set up a phone line for friends and family of passengers on Air Canada Express flight #AC8646 on Mar. 22,2026; they can call 1-800-961-7099 for assistance.
— Air Canada (@AirCanada) March 23, 2026
Mass disruption at LaGuardia
LaGuardia served over 30 million passengers in 2025, per the Port Authority.
Along with Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and New York-JFK, LaGuardia is one of the three major commercial airports serving New York.
LaGuardia said in an X post earlier on Sunday that weather conditions had caused flight disruptions and advised passengers to check the status of their flights with their airlines.
Operations at Newark Airport were also temporarily halted on Monday due to a control tower evacuation, meaning air travel was heavily affected at two of the major New York City-area travel hubs. Operations at Newark have since resumed.
In an update at 9:45 a.m. Eastern, Delta Air Lines, which has its own terminal at LaGuardia, said it had suspended all flights from the airport. The airline said it would allow customers with affected flights to rebook on the next best itinerary.
AP Photo/Ryan Murphy
Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, said in a post on X that the union’s “hearts are with the crew, passengers, and their families” and that its employee assistance program is available to support those affected.
Speaking on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said the crash should prompt “far greater scrutiny” of air traffic control staffing, pointing to a long-standing shortage of controllers.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on X on Monday morning that the city was in close contact with federal, state, and local authorities as the NTSB investigates the collision. He praised first responders “whose swift actions saved lives.”
