Two pilots died after an Air Canada Express plane slammed into a fire truck on a rain-slicked runway at New York’s LaGuardia Airport just before midnight.
Disaster on the Runway
The Bombardier CRJ-900 jet, Flight 8646 operated by Jazz Aviation, had just landed after a flight from Montreal when it collided with the emergency vehicle. The fire truck belonged to the Port Authority Police Department’s Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighter Unit and was responding to a separate incident.
Both pilots aboard the plane succumbed to their injuries. Two Port Authority officers in the fire truck suffered serious bone fractures but are expected to survive. Miraculously, a female flight attendant was ejected through the front of the plane while still strapped to her seat and survived after being pulled to safety by officers on the scene.
Harrowing Scene and Emergency Response
- 72 passengers and 4 crew members were onboard when the crash happened.
- The plane’s nose was destroyed and pitched upwards; the fire truck was mangled and flipped onto its side.
- Debris cluttered the runway as emergency teams rushed in minutes after the collision.
- Passengers, many believed to be Orthodox Jewish from the New York area, are being assessed with no fatalities reported among them so far.
Emergency services from the FDNY arrived quickly after receiving reports of the crash around 11:38 pm. Air traffic controllers communicated the chilling moment Flight 8646 collided with the vehicle, reporting to the aircraft, “I see you collided with the vehicle. Just hold position.”
Investigation Underway, Airport Shut Down
The cause of the crash remains unclear. The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration have launched full investigations. The FAA has imposed a full ground stop, and an NTSB “go team” is on-site to probe the disaster.
The Port Authority has confirmed LaGuardia Airport is currently closed as investigators comb through the wreckage. The crash took place after heavy rain drenched New York City, but it’s still uncertain if weather played a role. Earlier warnings noted that rainy, cloudy weather could disrupt airport operations.
Officials remain tight-lipped about the exact sequence leading to the horrific smash. The city and aviation authorities hold their breath as they piece together how a routine landing turned into a fatal catastrophe.
