Two pilots were killed and 41 people were hospitalized late Sunday night after an Air Canada Express regional jet collided with a Port Authority fire-and-rescue vehicle on a runway at New York's LaGuardia Airport. The aircraft, a CRJ-900 operated by Jazz Aviation on behalf of Air Canada, had arrived from Montreal and landed on Runway 4 at approximately 11:45 p.m. local time when the collision occurred. The plane carried 72 passengers and four crew members.

The pilot and co-pilot aboard Flight AC8646 were killed when the nose of the aircraft struck the middle of the fire truck, absorbing the full force of the impact. The two Port Authority officers riding in the truck's cab were thrown from the vehicle but survived with non-life-threatening injuries. Of the 41 people taken to hospitals — 39 from the plane and two from the truck — Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia said 32 had been discharged by Monday morning, though some sustained serious injuries. A flight attendant was found outside the aircraft still strapped into her jumpseat after the collision.

The fire-and-rescue vehicle was responding to a separate incident involving United Airlines Flight 2384, whose crew had aborted a takeoff after an anti-ice warning light activated and reported an odor in the cabin, eventually declaring an emergency. Air traffic control recordings indicate the fire truck had received clearance to cross the runway before being told to stop. In a recorded exchange with a Frontier Airlines pilot, an air traffic controller said, "I was here. I tried to reach out to my staff, and we were dealing with an emergency earlier and I messed up."

LaGuardia Airport was closed following the collision, with the FAA issuing a ground stop through at least 2 p.m. Monday. Hundreds of flights across multiple carriers — including American Airlines, Delta, Southwest, United, and Air Canada — were cancelled or delayed. The National Transportation Safety Board launched an investigative team to the scene, and the FAA said it would support that investigation. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued a statement offering condolences and pledging continued coordination with the NTSB.

Investigators are focused on how both the landing aircraft and the fire truck received simultaneous clearances to occupy the same runway. Air Canada established a dedicated hotline — 1-800-961-7099 — for those seeking information about passengers aboard the flight. Authorities said no foul play or terrorism is suspected, and the incident is being treated as an accident.