A fatal accident occurred when an Air Canada plane collided with a fire truck on a runway at LaGuardia Airport in New York City.
The accident occurred late Sunday (March 22), the National Transportation Safety Board and LaGuardia initially confirmed in statements on X.
“At approximately 11:40 p.m. on Sunday, a Jazz Aviation flight operating on behalf of Air Canada was involved in an incident on Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport in which the aircraft struck a Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle that was responding to a separate incident,” LaGuardia’s statement read in part.
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It continued, reading, “This is a developing situation based on preliminary information. The Port Authority Police Department is working closely with our airline partners as well as federal authorities and will provide additional updates as more details become available.”
LaGuardia was closed for an investigation to take place. On X, the airport urged passengers to check for their latest flight information before heading to the airport. It will not reopen until at least after 2 p.m. on Monday (March 23).
In press releases, both Air Canada and Jazz Aviation confirmed that the plane’s pilot and first officer died in the collision. The companies stated that they were unable to confirm a final death count at the moment.
“Flight 8646 was en route to LGA from Montréal (YUL) and collided with a fire truck on the runway upon landing at New York LaGuardia (LGA),” Jazz wrote in the news release. It’s believed that 72 passengers and 4 crew members were onboard at the time of the collision.
“Today is an incredibly difficult day for our airline, our employees, and most importantly, the families and loved ones of those affected by the accident involving flight 8646,” Doug Clarke, President of Jazz Aviation, said in the news release. “We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of our two pilots and our unwavering support to those who have been injured.”
He added, “As the investigation unfolds, we are fully committed to cooperating with the relevant authorities to determine what happened. We will share updates as soon as verified information becomes available. We will continue to provide our full support in the days and weeks ahead.”
In updates provided NBC News, it was revealed that 41 people involved in the accident were hospitalized in the aftermath.
Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia told the outlet that some of the hospitalized were “seriously injured.” However, 32 of them have since been released.
Garcia told the press that two of the hospitalized had been on the truck. They were described as being in “stable condition with non life-threatening injuries.”
She added that the truck was on the runway “responding to another aircraft operated by United that had reported an issue with odor.”
The identities of the deceased have not yet been confirmed.