Montreal to New York plane hits fire truck, killing both pilots and injuring dozens
An Air Canada Express flight from Montreal crashed into a fire truck on a runway at New York’s LaGuardia Airport late Sunday, killing the pilot and co-pilot and injuring dozens of people onboard, prompting Canada’s Transportation Safety Board (TSB) to deploy investigators to support the U.S. probe.
The Jazz Aviation Bombardier CRJ900, operating as Air Canada Express Flight 8646 from Montréal–Trudeau International Airport to LaGuardia, was landing when it struck an airport rescue and firefighting vehicle on Runway 4 shortly before midnight on March 22. The collision destroyed the cockpit section of the regional jet, killing both pilots.
Authorities said there were 72 passengers and four crew members on board. Roughly 40 people were taken to area hospitals, some with serious injuries, while others were treated at the scene; the vast majority have since been released. Two Port Authority employees in the fire truck were also hurt, but their injuries were not believed to be life‑threatening.
In a statement Monday from Gatineau, Que., the TSB said it is deploying a team of investigators “to support the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in their investigation into the March 22, 2026 crash involving a Jazz Aviation CRJ900 aircraft and a ground vehicle at LaGuardia Airport, New York.” The deployment follows international protocols that give the state where an accident occurs — in this case, the United States — primary responsibility for the safety investigation, with Canada participating because the aircraft and operator are Canadian.
Under Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, only the lead investigative agency — the NTSB — can release information about the progress and findings of the investigation. The TSB stressed it “will not be able to comment on the investigation” beyond Monday’s announcement.
The NTSB has already dispatched a “go team” of specialists to LaGuardia and is expected to examine factors including air traffic control communications, runway movements, airport emergency response protocols and the performance of the aircraft’s crew and systems.
Early reports from U.S. officials indicate the fire truck had been dispatched to respond to a separate incident involving a United Airlines flight when it crossed the runway used by the Air Canada Express jet. In recordings released from the tower frequency, an air traffic controller can be heard clearing a vehicle to cross part of the airfield, then urgently trying to halt it moments before the collision.
The crash forced the temporary closure of LaGuardia, disrupting flights at one of New York City’s busiest airports and stranding passengers across the region. Operations have gradually resumed, but officials warn of continuing delays as the investigation and runway inspections continue.
The accident is the first fatal incident involving an Air Canada flight in more than four decades, and it raises new questions about runway safety and ground‑vehicle access at congested airports.
