TWO pilots have been killed after a passenger jet ploughed into a fire truck on a rain-soaked runway.

The Air Canada Express plane smashed into the emergency vehicle just before midnight as it landed at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, sparking chaos and a full shutdown of the busy travel hub.

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An Air Canada Express jet collided with a fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia AirportCredit: Getty
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The horror smash saw both pilots dead and several injuredCredit: Getty
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The Air Canada plane’s nose completely obliterated after the deadly collisionCredit: Avalon.red
Sources confirmed both pilots onboard the Bombardier CRJ-900 jet died from their injuries after the horror smash.

Dozens of passengers and crew were rushed to hospital in the chaotic aftermath as medics scrambled to treat the injured.

Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia said 41 people were taken to hospital following the crash, with the majority later discharged.

“At approximately 11.40 last night, Air Canada flight 8646 operated by Jazz collided with the Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and firefighting vehicle on Runway Four,” she told reporters on Monday.

“Initial numbers indicate that 41 passengers and crew were transported to the hospital… at this time, we understand that 32 have been released, but there are also serious injuries.”

Two Port Authority cops on the fire truck were also seriously injured, suffering broken bones but are expected to survive.

And a female flight attendant was ejected through the front of the aircraft while still strapped to her seat, but miraculously survived.

Officers at the scene pulled her to safety before she was rushed to hospital.

Flight 8646 – operated by regional carrier Jazz – had taken off from Montreal shortly after 10.30pm and landed around an hour later before the collision.

Harrowing images show the plane’s nose completely obliterated and the aircraft pitched upwards, while the fire truck was left mangled and flipped onto its side.

Debris was strewn across the runway as emergency crews flooded the scene within minutes.

Carrying 72 passengers and four crew onboard, the jet collided with the fire truck on Runway 4 at about 30mph as it neared the end of its landing.

The plane is believed to have been carrying a group of Orthodox Jewish passengers from the New York area.

Their conditions are still being assessed, but no passenger deaths have been reported.

The fire truck was manned by officers from the Port Authority Police Department’s Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighter Unit – the specialist team that responds to aviation emergencies.

The vehicle had been responding to a separate incident and had been cleared to cross the runway.

Emergency services swarmed the scene as the scale of the incident became clear, with the FDNY rushing to reports of a “plane and vehicle” crash at around 11.38pm.

Air traffic control audio captured the terrifying moment officials realised what had happened.

An air traffic controller is heard saying: “JAZZ 646, I see you collided with the vehicle. Just hold position. I know you can’t move. Vehicles are responding to you now.”

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The deadly collision took place late night on SundayCredit: Reuters
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Several emergency teams rushed to the scene with the fire truck flipped onto its sideCredit: Reuters
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Travellers look for rides after LaGuardia Airport was closedCredit: Getty
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Debris hangs from a damaged Air Canada Express jetCredit: Reuters
The cause of the smash is still unclear, with investigators scrambling to piece together what went wrong.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it is gathering information, while the Federal Aviation Administration has launched a probe.

The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a full ground stop, while the National Transportation Safety Board is deploying a “go team” to probe the disaster.

“The NTSB is launching a go team to investigate the March 22 incident involving Jazz Aviation, Air Canada Express Flight 8646, a CRJ-900, that collided with a fire truck on Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport in New York, NY,” officials said.

The Port Authority confirmed the airport has been shut down as investigators comb through the wreckage.

“The Port Authority Police Department is on scene along with the agency’s Chairman and Executive Director. The airport is currently closed to facilitate the response and allow for a thorough investigation,” the force said.

The crash came after hours of heavy rain swept across New York City, leaving water visible on the tarmac.

But it is not yet known if weather played a role.

Earlier in the evening, the airport had warned that “rainy and cloudy weather could disrupt operations.”

The airport remains closed as investigations continue.

The horror smash comes amid growing concerns over US aviation safety, with air traffic control systems long plagued by staffing shortages and mounting pressure.

Recent disruption, including a government shutdown, has also left some aviation workers facing uncertainty over pay.

A top official with the Transportation Security Administration warned that airports are “fully stretched,” as TSA workers go without pay for the third time in nearly six months.

Acting Deputy Transportation Security Administration Administrator Adam Stahl told Fox & Friends on Tuesday: “We’re fully stretched.”

“Frankly, there’s not much else we can do. As the weeks continue, if this continues, it’s not hyperbole to suggest that we may have to quite literally shut down airports, particularly smaller ones, if call-out rates go up.”

“A lot of these officers can’t afford to come in,” Stahl said.

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The jet sits on the runway after the late-night incidentCredit: AP
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Planes sit at gates after a ground stoppage was issued at La Guardia airportCredit: AFP
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 23: An a Port Authority fire truck sits on the runway after colliding with an Air Canada Express CRJ-900 at LaGuardia Airport on March 23, 2026 in New York City. All flights into and out of LaGuardia airport have ben cancelled until 2 P.M. after an Air Canada Express plane flight from Montreal collided with a fire truck on the tarmac killing the pilot and leaving more than forty people injured. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)Credit: Getty