New York airport closed after collision between Air Canada plane and fire truck
A tense and fast-moving emergency unfolded late Sunday night at New York’s LaGuardia Airport when a passenger jet collided with an emergency vehicle on the runway, injuring several people and forcing a temporary shutdown of one of the nation’s busiest air hubs.
Officials said the aircraft, a Bombardier CRJ900 operated by Air Canada, had just arrived from Montreal and was taxiing toward its gate when it struck a fire truck on Runway 4. The plane was carrying roughly 80 to 100 passengers and was traveling at an estimated 24 miles per hour at the time of the impact, according to flight tracking data. The collision occurred shortly before 11:40 p.m., abruptly turning a routine landing into a high-alert emergency.
Early reports indicate that at least four individuals sustained critical injuries. Among them were two Port Authority Police Department officers assigned to firefighting duties. Both were transported to a nearby hospital, and sources suggest one holds the rank of sergeant while the other is an officer, highlighting the severity of the injuries among first responders.
Unconfirmed media reports also suggested that two pilots may have been killed in the incident, though officials have not verified those claims. Authorities continue working to confirm details as information evolves.
Preliminary findings point to a possible breakdown in timing and communication. Investigators believe the fire truck had been cleared by air traffic control to cross the runway. However, audio recordings from the control tower reportedly captured urgent last-second instructions ordering the vehicle to stop, raising questions about whether those warnings came too late. Poor weather conditions at the time may have further reduced visibility and complicated coordination between ground crews and the aircraft.
In response to the crash, the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily halted all arrivals and departures at LaGuardia, effectively shutting down operations as emergency responders secured the scene. At least 18 flights were diverted to nearby airports, including John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport, causing ripple effects across the region’s air traffic.
Images from the scene show the aircraft halted on the runway, surrounded by emergency vehicles and flashing lights—a stark illustration of how quickly routine airport operations can escalate into a crisis.
Investigators are now working to reconstruct the sequence of events, focusing on air traffic control communications, runway safety protocols, and environmental factors. While many details remain unclear, the incident has already sparked renewed concerns about coordination and safety at major airports. For now, attention remains on the injured and on determining exactly what went wrong in the critical moments before the collision.