A serious accident occurred late Sunday night at New York’s LaGuardia Airport when an Air Canada Express regional jet collided with a Port Authority vehicle while on the ground shortly after landing. The incident resulted in the deaths of two people and temporarily forced the airport to suspend operations.
The aircraft, a CRJ-900 that had just arrived from Montreal, reportedly struck the service vehicle at a speed of roughly 24 miles per hour just before midnight, according to data from flight tracking platform Flightradar24.
Officials later confirmed that the two pilots aboard the aircraft lost their lives in the collision. Kathryn Garcia, Executive Director of the Port Authority, shared the details during a press briefing following the incident.
Emergency crews responded immediately, and more than 40 individuals—including passengers, crew members, and Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) personnel—were transported to nearby hospitals for evaluation and treatment.
“At this point we know that 32 people have already been released from medical care, though some remain hospitalized with serious injuries,” Garcia explained during the update.
She also confirmed that Air Canada’s support team is currently working to notify the families of the two pilots who were killed in the crash.
