Air Canada Jet Smashes Into Fire Truck at LaGuardia — Pilot & Co-Pilot Killed in Late-Night Chaos

A tragic scene unfolded late Sunday night at LaGuardia Airport when an Air Canada-operated flight collided with a fire rescue truck on the runway, leaving the pilot and co-pilot dead and multiple others injured.

According to officials, the flight—operated by Jazz Aviation—was landing after departing from Montréal–Trudeau International Airport when it struck a Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle around 11:40 p.m.

The fire truck had been cleared to cross the runway while responding to another emergency involving a separate flight reporting a strange odor in the cockpit. Just seconds before impact, air traffic control could be heard urgently yelling for the truck to stop—but it was too late.

The aircraft, a CRJ-900 carrying 72 passengers and 4 crew members, was reportedly traveling at around 130 mph at the time of the collision. While passengers miraculously avoided major injuries, two individuals inside the fire truck were hurt.

Photos from the scene show severe damage to the nose of the plane as emergency crews flooded the runway. The airport was immediately shut down as first responders rushed in and investigators began assessing the situation.

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop following the crash, with the airport expected to remain closed for hours. Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board is launching a full investigation into what led to the deadly collision.

This devastating incident comes amid ongoing nationwide airport disruptions tied to staffing shortages and federal funding issues, adding even more pressure to an already strained travel system.