The pilot and co-pilot of the Air Canada Express flight died in the crash at LaGuardia Airport on Monday, March 23. According to local NBC News, the accident took place on runway number 4 when a fire truck collided with a Bombardier CRJ-900 twin-jet aircraft.
The plane landed at around 11.45 pm ET (3.35 am UK time) from Montreal when the crash occurred, said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Jazz Aviation, which operates as Air Canada Express, has confirmed the crash that its Flight 8646 from Montreal to LaGuardia was involved in a collision with a fire truck.
According to the operator, 72 passengers and four crew members were on board at the time of the crash. Emergency helpline (1-800-961-7099) has been set up for the stranded passengers of Air Canada Express.
According to data from Flightradar24, the aircraft (registration C-GNJZ) was decelerating on Runway 4 when it struck a Port Authority Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) vehicle near Taxiway E.
ATC Communications Surfaced
Air Traffic Controller (ATC) communicated with pilots at the time of the crash. The two port authority personnel, a sergeant and an officer, were inside the fire truck, which was identified as “Truck 1”. The audio, which surfaced on social media, shows an ATC officer clearing “Truck 1” to cross Runway 4 at Taxiway D. In a second, the controller can be heard saying "stop Truck 1, stop, stop, stop!" in panic.
According to the Air Live report, the Air Canada Express was travelling at a ground speed of approximately 21 to 24 knots at the time of hitting the truck.
The FAA has issued a ground stop for all arriving and departing flights at LaGuardia. The airport is currently estimated to remain closed until at least 2:00 PM ET today. Hundreds of flights have been diverted to Newark (EWR) and John F. Kennedy (JFK) airports.