An Air Canada Express regional jet struck a Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle after landing at LaGuardia Airport, officials and reports said, and the collision forced the airport to close while emergency teams responded.
Jazz Aviation, the regional operator flying on behalf of Air Canada, said Flight 8646 was en route from Montreal and that preliminary records indicate the aircraft was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members, though that figure remained subject to confirmation.
Flight tracking service Flightradar24 reported the CRJ-900 struck the vehicle at about 24 miles per hour as it was on Runway 4, and multiple videos at the scene showed severe damage to the front of the aircraft.
Reuters photographs showed visible damage to the plane’s nose, which appeared tilted upward, and the New York Fire Department said it was responding to a reported incident on the runway involving a plane and a vehicle.
Investigation And Operational Impact
The Port Authority confirmed the jet collided with its Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle, saying the fire truck was responding to a separate incident when it was struck and that emergency response protocols were activated immediately.
The FAA issued a ground stop and described the situation as an emergency, while LaGuardia’s website showed arriving flights diverted or returned to their origins as the airport remained closed to facilitate the response and investigation.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it is launching a go team to investigate the collision involving a Jazz Aviation CRJ-900 operating as Air Canada Express Flight 8646 on Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport.
Reporting on injuries and fatalities varied across outlets. The Jerusalem Post cited reports saying two people died, and NBC News reported the pilot and co-pilot were killed while two other people suffered broken limbs and were in stable condition at a hospital.
Port Authority Police, the New York City Police Department and the Port Authority’s leadership were on scene according to a Port Authority statement, and agencies said they would provide updates as more information becomes available.
