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Runway Collision at LaGuardia Kills Two Pilots as Investigators Probe ATC Clearance

Audio of a last‑second stop order to a rescue truck puts tower communications at the center of the NTSB inquiry.

An Air Canada Jet sits on the runway at LaGuardia Airport, Monday, March 23, 2026, after colliding with a Port Authority aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle after landing in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
An Air Canada Express CRJ-900 sits on the runway after colliding with a Port Authority fire truck at LaGuardia Airport in New York, on March 23, 2026. Air Canada Express flight AC8646 originated from Montreal and collided with the fire truck during landing.
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Overview

  • An Air Canada Express CRJ‑900, which landed Sunday night as Flight AC8646 from Montreal, struck a Port Authority firefighting vehicle on Runway 4 and the pilot and first officer died.
  • Port Authority officials said 41 people were taken to hospitals, including two rescue officers from the truck, and 32 patients were later released as others were treated for more serious injuries.
  • LaGuardia halted flights overnight and into Monday to support the response and investigation, then reopened around 2 p.m. with widespread cancellations and diversions to JFK and Newark.
  • The rescue truck had been cleared to cross the runway while responding to a United flight that reported an odor, and tower audio captures urgent stop commands and a controller saying, “I messed up.”
  • NTSB investigators and FAA teams are examining ATC recordings, clearances, and ground‑vehicle protocols, in what officials noted is LaGuardia’s first fatal accident in decades and a likely catalyst for runway safety reviews.