Air Canada Express Jet Collides with Fire Truck at LaGuardia; Multiple Injuries Reported
An Air Canada Express regional jet collided with a ground vehicle, identified as a fire truck, at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on the evening of Sunday, March 23, 2026. The incident, involving Flight AC8646 from Montreal, resulted in multiple injuries and led to the airport’s closure, with all flights being diverted or returned to their points of origin. Reports on the condition of the flight crew differed among initial accounts.
The incident led to LaGuardia Airport's closure, with all flights being diverted or returned to their points of origin.
Incident Details
The collision occurred at approximately 11:37 PM US time on Runway 4 as Air Canada Express Flight AC8646, originating from Montreal, was taxiing after landing. The aircraft, operated by Jazz Aviation, reportedly struck a fire truck that was crossing the runway.
Sources indicated the aircraft was moving at approximately 24 mph (39 km/h) at the time of impact. The New York City Fire Department confirmed responding to reports of a plane-vehicle collision on the runway. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey stated the firefighting vehicle was responding to a separate incident.
Casualties and Injuries
Multiple individuals sustained injuries in the collision. Reports on the condition of the aircraft's pilot and co-pilot varied; some accounts stated they sustained severe or bad injuries, while one report indicated two fatalities involving them.
A sergeant and an officer from the fire truck, which was reportedly staffed by police officers, sustained broken limbs and were reported to be in stable condition at the hospital. The aircraft carried either 76 passengers and four crew members or 72 passengers and four crew members, with no other major injuries reported among those on board.
Aircraft and Vehicle Information
The involved aircraft was a 20-year-old Bombardier CRJ-900LR twin-jet, operated by Jazz Aviation, Air Canada’s regional partner. The plane has a capacity for up to 76 passengers.
Social media footage and visual evidence depicted the aircraft stopped on the runway with significant cockpit damage, its nose elevated, and the underside of its forward fuselage damaged after passenger evacuation.
An eyewitness stated the aircraft's nose lifted after passengers had been evacuated.
The ground vehicle involved was identified as a fire truck operated by Port Authority police officers.
Airport Operations and Impact
Following the collision, LaGuardia Airport was closed. The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a ground stop for all departures to LaGuardia due to the aircraft emergency, diverting arriving planes to other airports or returning them to their origin points.
Initial reports indicated the airport closure was in effect until 05:30 GMT, with a high probability of extension, and a separate FAA notice suggested a closure until 18:00 GMT. One source reported the airport was expected to remain shut until 2 PM (New York time) the following day. Weather conditions at the time included light rain and fog in the area.
Investigation
Both the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are expected to investigate the incident.