LaGuardia Airport: Two Pilots Dead, Dozens Injured After Plane Hits Fire Truck
“LaGuardia remains closed until 2pm while the NTSB investigates the accident site.”
Two pilots died after an Air Canada Express regional jet struck a fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
The plane had 72 passengers and four crew members.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) deployed a team early this morning to investigate the accident.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wrote on X this morning:
-Last night, an Air Canada Express CRJ-900 operating from Montreal (YUL) and a Port Authority fire truck at LaGuardia Airport (LGA) collided at about 11:45 p.m. ET.
-Of the 72 Air Canada Express passengers and 4 crew members, over a dozen are injured. Tragically, both pilots of the aircraft have passed away. At least 2 Port Authority firefighters sustained serious injuries.
-LaGuardia remains closed until 2pm while the NTSB investigates the accident site.
Our prayers this morning are with the families impacted by the ground collision at LaGuardia. The @FAANews is deploying a team to the site to support the @NTSB’s investigation.
Here’s the information I can share are this time:
-Last night, an Air Canada Express CRJ-900… https://t.co/YtDsNIu2uS
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) March 23, 2026
According to The New York Post, the truck received clearance to cross Runway 4 before the air traffic controllers told a Frontier plane and the truck to stop:
“Stop, stop, stop, stop,” the controller frantically demanded. “Truck 1, stop, stop, stop. Stop, Truck 1. Stop.”
The controller ordered Delta Flight 2603, en route from Detroit, to go around before turning back to the Air Canada plane — a Jazz Aviation operated flight that touched down from Montreal.
“Jazz 646, I see you collided with the vehicle. Just hold position. I know you can’t move. Vehicles are responding to you now,” the air traffic controller said.
After the crash, the air traffic controller asked the Frontier pilots if they’d like to return to the ramp.
It’s heartbreaking:
“We got stuff in progress for that, man, that wasn’t good to watch,” Frontier pilots said.
“Yeah, I tried to reach out to ‘em … And we were dealing with an emergency and I messed up,” the controller replied.
“No, you did the best you could,” Frontier crews said, trying to reassure the air traffic controller.
'IT WAS CHAOS': An Air Canada passenger details the harrowing moments when the plane he was on collided with a fire truck on the runway during landing at LaGuardia Airport. Two pilots were killed and dozens of passengers were injured. pic.twitter.com/7Nt36V5Bfc
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 23, 2026
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Comments
Just horrible. It will be interesting to get the facts on why the fire truck was on the runway. Nothing the pilot could have done to prevent this. May he and his co-pilot Rest in Peace.
From what I’ve seen so far, there was another plane reporting a funny smell after an aborted take off and they asked for a firetruck to meet them to check out the plane. So the firetruck was going to respond to a different emergency.
Correct.
https://youtu.be/Pbm-QJAAzNY
a controller told the fire truck that it was cleared to cross the runway
My SIL is a pilot for SW
Apropos of nothing, where is the government on the program to update the Air Traffic Control system? I am not implying any fault on the controllers part here, and I am not suggesting that a more modern system could have prevented this, but the incident did bring the question to mind.
I have flown into LGA in a PA28
What should be be a concise group of orderly taxiways is a hodge-podge of alphabet soup
I wouldn’t even attempt without progressive taxi instructions from Ground controllers
Unfortunately, there is a lot of technology out there in place at other airports. LHR for example, has red hold lights at the runways. Even if controllers clear airplanes to enter or cross the runway, those hold lights must be turned off. I believe there are some computer controls that will not allow the lights to go out if there is traffic. It’s the same Democrat story everywhere. They argue that they need more taxes for infrastructure, but when they get the money they make it rain for illegals, ngo’s, the teacher’s union and everywhere else they can buy votes.
Considering the overall number of flights in the world, it’s a miracle there are not more tragedies like this.
RIP to the two pilots and swift recovery for those injured. I also offer my prayers to the air traffic controller who’s obviously having a very bad day at the office. I know for a fact I couldn’t do his job so I will refrain from criticizing him doing his. We’re all human.
That said, I am interested in watching this story from the point of view of press coverage. I direct your attention to Juan Browne’s YouTube channel (https://m.youtube.com/@blancolirio) He’ll doubtless cover this in the next 24 hours and I’m guessing that his take on this incident will be so different than what you’re reading in the press that you’ll wonder if they’re talking about the same thing.
Juan is my home page on Firefox. He has been wrong a few times, mostly from bad data in, but immediately offers a retraction. Even when he is unsure, he’ll walk us through his process to reach the position that he currently holds when still early in the story and it is still unwrapping.
Great pilot insight. Recent near misses on ground a big problem
Thanks for the excellent link! His report is up now.
other sources have stated that the controller stated they were at fault and that would make sense b/c they gave FD permission to cross
rip
That’s what I’ve read. The firetruck was there because it was sent out there.
The air traffic controller admitted he “messed up” over the radio. Presumably the mistake being he granted the firetruck access to cross runway 4 as the airplane was making its landing. You can hear him frantically trying to get the truck to stop when he realized his mistake and what was about to occur.
https://x.com/BNONews/status/2035957754389471605
I don’t understand how the driver of the more mobile truck, despite having permission to cross, doesn’t look to see if it is safe.
That is common practice on the flight deck. Even when the controllers clear you, both the captain and first officer will look and make a verbal announcement that there is no traffic.
It’s the same reason we have speed limits. You look left, you look right. You see nothing so you proceed. But when a plane is landing at 150mph it comes up on you quick.
Yes. I don’t trust my fellow drivers to stop at red lights. No way would I drive/taxi across an active runway without taking a look. We’re all capable of messing up and when death is in the game it’s best to not let him play.
“New York Gov. Hochul Begs ‘High-Net-Worth’ Refugees To Return and Be Taxed”
“Hochul invited those who opposed her policies to leave. Many did. Now she wants them back.”
Somebody who very much deserves one is having a bad day today.
Tough start to 2026 for Canada. They lost gold to the US Mens, Womens and Para Hockey Teams, Carney talked tough to Trump about trade then immediately caved, reports out that hundreds of Iranians fled there when the US and Israel attacked Iran and now one of their planes have crashed.
“now one of their planes have crashed”
You mean one of our fire trucks destroyed their plane after one of our incompetent air traffic controllers failed to do their job.
It’s gonna be costly. To those responsible.
I am informed by a boomer quasi in-law that Carney just signed a wheat deal with China that smells like Belt and Roads, except a little more bakery. When Canada digs, they don’t stop.
Based on knowledge of how airports are run and what little information there is (including the controller’s mea culpa)…
The truck should never have been given permission to enter the runway. AND the truck should have said “Nah, we’ll wait” when it was given clearance.
It is incumbent on all three groups of people involved – both vehicles (planes or ground vehicles) and the controller – to clear and confirm crossing runways and taxiways. That clearing involves on the ground and in the air both directions, and the runway/taxiway designation. (Because people get turned around and because people do sometimes try to land/takeoff going the wrong direction. And controllers think they’re clearing for one runway but they say another.)
Many years ago before I had even a private pilot license the tower at a small not busy airport cleared me for takeoff on the singe runway at the airport.
Over the radio I heard a 737 being cleared to land on that same runway.
I contacted the tower to confirm and was directed by the obviously panicked controller to execute a 360 turn and exit the runway. Fortunately I had time and am sure the crew of the 737 was prepared to go around if necessary.
I agree with the earlier comment on LGA taxiways. Very confusing even with progressive directions from ground control.
“to execute a 360 turn”
Aw, that’s just showing off.
Oops 180. 360 and we both would be on final.
Put incompetent people in charge and incompetence is sure to follow.
It happens every time.
I work in a clinic that used to do FAA physicals and the standards for ATC’s are crazy, because of the stress involved in the job. I think mandatory retirement age is early to mid-50’s. Stuff like this shows why those standards are so tough.
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