Tragedy struck New York's LaGuardia Airport on Sunday night when an Air Canada Express passenger plane collided with a fire truck on the runway, resulting in the deaths of both the pilot and co-pilot. The incident, which took place at approximately 11:38 pm local time, left at least 13 people injured, including two firefighters who were reportedly in stable condition after being rushed to the hospital. The accident has since sparked a full-scale emergency response, with evacuation and rescue operations continuing at the airport.
Several unverified social media videos emerged following the crash, showing the aftermath of the collision, including images of passengers deplaning from the plane. Some footage also showed significant damage to the nose of the aircraft, with the front of the plane visibly smashed. The commuter plane, a Bombardier CRJ-900, had been traveling from Montreal and was attempting to land at the airport before the crash occurred.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the fire truck was cleared to cross the runway to respond to an emergency involving a United Airlines flight. The United 737 Max had declared an emergency due to a strange odor affecting the flight attendants. However, the collision occurred as the Air Canada Express plane was landing and attempting to proceed to its gate.
The FAA issued a ground stop for all flights at LaGuardia following the accident, and arriving planes were either diverted to nearby airports or returned to their points of origin. The collision left the airport’s runway temporarily closed, and authorities have yet to confirm the extent of the damage or release further details on the crash's investigation.
The aircraft involved in the incident was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members, and their conditions are still being evaluated. Initial reports suggest the passengers included a group of Orthodox Jews from the New York area. Authorities have also confirmed that the fire truck involved in the crash was part of the Port Authority Police Department’s emergency response team, and it was actively responding to the earlier emergency with the United Airlines flight.
The incident is now under investigation by both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and questions remain over how a fire truck ended up on the runway as a plane was landing. The FAA has also stated that they expect LaGuardia Airport’s operations to be severely impacted for several hours, with a potential closure extension until 6:00 pm GMT.
As the investigation unfolds, many are left grappling with the devastating loss of life and questioning the circumstances that led to this deadly collision on one of the busiest airport runways in the United States.
