LaGuardia Airport crash: What caused plane to collide with fire truck?

According to Reuters, the Air Canada Express CRJ-900 aircraft, operated by its regional partner Jazz Aviation, was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members from Montreal.

Also read: Passenger plane crashes into fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, killing two pilots

Airport operations were suspended following the incident, and airport authorities said the National Transportation Safety Board was on site investigating the bizarre accident. “The airport will be closed until at least 2:00 p.m. on Monday, March 23, 2026, to allow for a thorough investigation,” the airport authority said in a statement on Sunday.

“At approximately 11:40 p.m. Sunday, a Jazz Aviation flight operated on behalf of Air Canada was involved in an incident on Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport where the aircraft struck a Port Authority aircraft rescue and fire truck that was responding to another incident,” LaGuardia Airport authorities said on X.

An official with the New York Port Authority said the incident occurred while fire trucks were responding to a separate incident involving a United Airlines plane, Reuters reported.

Also read: ‘Stop, stop, stop’: Air Canada Express plane collides with fire truck, sending LaGuardia air traffic control center into panic

Airport officials further added that emergency response procedures were initiated immediately following the incident. “The Port Authority Police Department, as well as the agency’s president and executive director, are on scene. The airport is currently closed to facilitate the response and conduct a thorough investigation,” it said.

The CRJ-900 aircraft was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members from Montreal, according to a preliminary passenger manifest that has yet to be confirmed. The plane touched down around 11:37 p.m. local time and hit the vehicle while traveling on the runway at 24 miles per hour, according to flight tracking data.

Photos taken after the accident showed the plane’s nose was severely damaged and appeared to tilt upward. Emergency crews rushed to the scene and authorities launched an investigation into the accident. Officials did not immediately provide further details about the cause of the crash.