Two pilots were killed and dozens of passengers injured when a Canadian regional passenger jet collided with an airport emergency vehicle while landing at LaGuardia Airport late Sunday, authorities said, triggering widespread flight disruptions and a federal investigation into runway safety.
The aircraft, operated by a regional affiliate of Air Canada, had arrived from Montreal carrying more than 70 passengers and crew members when it struck a firefighting truck that was responding to a separate incident on the airfield, according to preliminary information from aviation officials.
Emergency responders rushed to the runway after the impact, which tore through the cockpit section of the jet and left the ground vehicle overturned. Officials confirmed that both the captain and co-pilot died at the scene, while several passengers and airport personnel were taken to hospital with injuries described as mostly minor.
Air traffic control recordings reviewed by investigators indicated urgent last-minute instructions were issued for the emergency vehicle to stop moments before the aircraft touched down. Authorities have not yet said whether weather, visibility or communication lapses played a role in the collision.
The incident forced aviation regulators to halt operations at LaGuardia for several hours, causing cancellations and diversions across the New York region as crews cleared debris and conducted safety checks on the runway.
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board have begun examining flight data, cockpit voice recordings and airport ground movement procedures as part of efforts to determine how the aircraft and the emergency vehicle came to be on the same runway.
Air Canada said it was cooperating fully with the investigation and had established assistance services for affected passengers and the families of the deceased crew members.
The crash is expected to renew debate over runway incursion risks in the United States, where aviation safety experts have warned that rising traffic levels are increasing pressure on coordination between pilots, air traffic controllers and ground operations.
The cause of the collision remains under investigation.
