An Air Canada Express CRJ-900 flight ran into an Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) vehicle during touchdown at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Sunday. Flight AC8646 from Montreal landed on Runway 4 and was rolling down the runway when it struck the ARFF vehicle as the truck crossed the runway. The emergency vehicle was responding to a United aircraft that had reported fumes on board.
Images collected from social media show that the entire front of the aircraft has been demolished. This confirms a high-speed collision. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has confirmed that both pilots died in the accident. The 41 other injured people were taken to the hospital.
The pilot and co-pilot of the Jazz Aviation flight were pronounced deceased. “Additionally, 41 people were transported to the hospital, 39 people on the aircraft and two ARFF officers,” Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia said.
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The operator of Air Canada Express flight 8646, Jazz Aviation, announced, “Flight 8646 was en route to LGA from Montréal (YUL). The preliminary passenger list indicates the aircraft was carrying 72 passengers and 4 crew members, although this is subject to confirmation. The incident occurred at approximately 11:47 PM on March 22, 2026.”
According to ATC audio captured by LiveATC.net, the ARFF vehicle was cleared to cross Runway 4 at taxiway D. However, the tower controller can be heard telling “Truck 1” to stop multiple times before dispatching additional ARFF units on the airfield.
Raw data recovered from the aircraft indicated retardation on the runway until it reached taxiway E. At that point, the aircraft’s ground speed decreased quickly, and the reported track changed.
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La Guardia Airport remains closed for operations. The NOTAM issued is in force until 18:00 GMT (2 PM local time). President Donald Trump termed the plane crash at LaGuardia Airport “terrible.” “They made a mistake,” Trump said. “It’s a dangerous business,” he added while being interviewed at the Palm Beach Airport in Florida.
According to reports, the arrivals and departures were “temporarily halted after Air Traffic Control (ATC) reported a burning smell coming from the elevator.”
The air crash happened in a tight situation amid the ongoing shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. This has been taking a toll on thousands of workers from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) who have been working without pay. Reports suggest that the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have been appointed to many airports across the country to deal temporarily with staffing issues with TSA.