A LaGuardia crash kills 2, hurts dozens and closes the airport. Here's what to know

## Summary
Here's what to know Updated March 23, 2026 10:06 AM ET Originally published March 23, 2026 4:46 AM ET By Rachel Treisman The damaged Air Canada Express CRJ-900 sits on the LaGuardia runway Monday morning. Clary/AFP via Getty Images Two pilots were killed and dozens of passengers injured when an Air Canada regional jet collided with a fire truck at New York's LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night. Air Canada Flight 8646, operated by regional airline Jazz Aviation, was landing in New York around 11:30 p.m. when it struck a Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle, said Kathryn Garcia, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport. Clary/AFP via Getty Images Garcia deferred many of the reporters' questions to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the federal agency that investigates civil transportation accidents, which quickly dispatched a go-team to New York.

## Article Content
National
A LaGuardia crash kills 2, hurts dozens and closes the airport. Here's what to know
Updated March 23, 2026
10:06 AM ET
Originally published
March 23, 2026
4:46 AM ET
By
Rachel Treisman
The damaged Air Canada Express CRJ-900 sits on the LaGuardia runway Monday morning.
Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images
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Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images
Two pilots were killed and dozens of passengers injured when an Air Canada regional jet collided with a fire truck at New York's LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night.
Air Canada Flight 8646, operated by regional airline Jazz Aviation, was landing in New York around 11:30 p.m. when it struck a Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle, said Kathryn Garcia, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport.
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Officials say 72 passengers and four crew members were on board the flight from Montréal-Trudeau International Airport.
Garcia said at a
press conference
early Monday that the pilot and first officer, who have not yet been identified, were both killed. She said 41 passengers and crew members were transported to the hospital.
"At this time we understand 32 have been released, but there are also serious injuries," Garcia said early Monday.
The collision happened just before midnight on Sunday.
Ryan Murphy/AP
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Ryan Murphy/AP
She declined to elaborate on the condition of the nine people who remained hospitalized at the time of the press conference. Air Canada said in a
Monday morning statement
that it "cannot confirm the exact number of injuries or if there are other fatalities at this time."
The collision crumpled the front of the passenger jet, tilting its nose upward and forcing passengers to evacuate through emergency exits. Photos from the scene show debris hanging from the exposed cockpit and scattered across the tarmac, as the damaged emergency vehicle lies on its side nearby.
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Garcia said the two officers on board the Port Authority vehicle were in "stable condition with no life-threatening injuries." The firetruck had been on the runway at the discretion of air traffic control, responding to a separate "odor" incident involving a United Airlines plane, she said.
"Anytime anyone is moving on any of our runways or taxiways, they have to get clearance from the tower," she added.
The damaged Port Authority fire truck sits near the runway on Monday. Officials said the two people on board were hospitalized but in stable condition.
Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images
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Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images
Garcia deferred many of the reporters' questions to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the federal agency that investigates civil transportation accidents, which quickly
dispatched a go-team
to New York.
Garcia said LaGuardia will be closed until at least 2 p.m. ET on Monday to facilitate that investigation.
At least 573 flights into or out of the airport were cancelled on Monday, according to a tracker from
FlightAware
. Many of those were operated by Delta Airlines, for which LaGuardia is a major hub. The airline said in
a statement
that it will automatically rebook affected passengers "to the next best itinerary," and that "additional schedule adjustments are possible if the closure extends."
All flights into and out of LaGuardia Airport were cancelled on Monday morning. It's one of three main airports serving the New York City area.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
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Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
LaGuardia was the
19th busiest airport
in the U.S. in 2024, according to Federal Aviation Administration data. It saw about 900 inbound and outbound flights per day in January 2026, according to a
Port Authority dashboard
.
It is one of the three main airports serving the New York City metropolitan area. Another, Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, briefly
issued a ground stop
on Monday morning after the air traffic control tower was evacuated due to smoke, according to
local media
.
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Air travel has recently been fraught for many Americans, due to the partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security, which is now in its sixth week.
Many Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers, forced to work without pay, have either quit or called out from work, resulting in longer security lines at many airports. The Trump administration said over the weekend that it would be
sending Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents
to assist at unspecified airports around the country starting Monday.
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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
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### Areas for Consideration
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### Implications
- Garcia said LaGuardia will be closed until at least 2 p.m.
- The airline said in a statement that it will automatically rebook affected passengers "to the next best itinerary," and that "additional schedule adjustments are possible if the closure extends." All flights into and out of LaGuardia Airport were cancelled on Monday morning.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers airport, monday, air topics. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 800.