Pilot, co-pilot die as Air Canada jet collides with fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport

The pilot and co-pilot of an Air Canada Express regional jet have lost their lives after the aircraft collided with a fire truck while landing at LaGuardia Airport, forcing the closure of the airport.

According to NBC News, which reported the fatalities, dozens of other individuals sustained injuries in the incident that occurred late Sunday.
The report indicated that the fire truck involved in the collision was being operated by police officers, citing sources. Earlier details suggested that a sergeant and an officer suffered broken limbs but were in stable condition at a hospital.
The Air Canada Express CRJ-900 aircraft, operated by Jazz Aviation, was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members from Montreal, based on a preliminary passenger manifest subject to confirmation. Jazz Aviation is owned by Chorus Aviation.
Flight-tracking platform Flightradar24 reported that the aircraft was travelling at approximately 24mph when it struck the fire vehicle, with its last recorded data logged at 11:37 p.m.
Images captured after the crash showed visible damage to the nose of the plane, which appeared tilted upward.
As of the time of reporting, authorities and emergency agencies had not issued immediate statements regarding casualties.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the airport would remain closed until 2 p.m. on Monday. Flightradar24 added that at least 18 flights were either diverted to nearby airports in the New York area or returned to their departure points.
Air Canada acknowledged the incident and referred inquiries to Jazz Aviation’s statement. Meanwhile, both the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA had yet to respond to requests for further comments.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey disclosed that the fire truck was responding to a separate emergency at the airport when it was struck by the landing aircraft on runway 4.
New York City’s emergency alert system warned of expected flight cancellations, road closures, traffic disruptions, and increased emergency activity around the airport.