Overview
- An Air Canada Express CRJ-900, operating as Flight AC8646 from Montreal, struck a Port Authority fire truck during landing late Sunday, killing the pilot and co-pilot and injuring dozens.
- The aircraft, which carried 72 passengers and four crew, suffered catastrophic cockpit damage as passengers evacuated while emergency crews responded on Runway 4.
- Tower audio captured a controller clearing the vehicle to cross, then urgently ordering it to stop, followed minutes later by the remark, “I messed up,” as responders rushed to the scene.
- Port Authority officials said the truck was crossing to reach a United flight that had reported an odor, and 41 people were taken to hospitals, including two rescue officers, with most later released.
- LaGuardia imposed a ground stop and then reopened Monday afternoon on one runway, while the NTSB leads a probe with U.S. and Canadian teams after securing the flight and voice recorders in a case that highlights how surface-surveillance alarms aid controllers but do not replace strict runway clearances.