NEW YORK — A tragic collision at LaGuardia Airport has left two Air Canada pilots dead and dozens injured after a passenger jet struck a fire truck on the runway, with newly released air traffic control recordings revealing the final desperate moments before impact.
The Air Canada Express flight, travelling from Montreal to New York, had just landed Sunday night when it collided with an emergency vehicle responding to a separate incident on the runway. All 72 passengers and four crew members have been accounted for, with 41 people transported to hospital and several still in serious condition.
In chilling audio captured from air traffic control, a controller can be heard urgently warning, “Stop, Truck 1. Stop,” moments before the collision. Seconds later, the situation escalated into chaos as the aircraft struck the vehicle, prompting controllers to immediately divert other incoming flights.
Passengers described a scene of panic and confusion inside the cabin. One traveller said the aircraft “immediately hit something,” followed by screaming and a frantic rush to emergency exits as passengers evacuated the damaged plane.
Authorities confirmed the fire truck had been responding to an earlier issue involving a United Airlines flight that aborted takeoff due to an odour concern. Two emergency personnel in the truck were injured but are expected to recover.
The aircraft involved, a Bombardier CRJ900 regional jet, sustained catastrophic damage to its front section, with the cockpit area severely destroyed in the crash. Aviation experts say investigators will now examine cockpit voice recordings, flight data, and air traffic communications to determine how the runway collision occurred.
Canadian officials, including Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon, have expressed condolences and confirmed that Canada is working closely with U.S. authorities. A consular team has been dispatched to assist affected passengers and families.
The crash has also caused ripple effects across the aviation network, with dozens of flights cancelled, including connections from Toronto’s Pearson Airport, as LaGuardia remains partially closed during the investigation.
Officials say the probe will be thorough and methodical, but the early focus remains on understanding how an active runway came to be occupied by both an arriving aircraft and an emergency vehicle at the same time.
As investigators begin their work, the aviation community is mourning the loss of two pilots and grappling with questions about runway safety and coordination during emergency situations.