Air Canada plane crashes at New York's LaGuardia Airport: Here's what the authorities said

An Air Canada Express aircraft crashed with a fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on late Sunday, March 22 (US local time). The crash reportedly killed the pilots of the plane and left several injured.

The visuals from the accident showed the nose of the aircraft being damaged due to the collision and nose-lifted as authorities scrambled to launch a rescue operation at the site.

The crash has attracted the attention of the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and a probe into the incident has been launched.
From the airport authorities to the regulatory bodies and the aircraft company, take a look at what the authorities said: 

Air Canada confirmed the accident in a statement, stating that the company was “aware of an incident” involving Air Canada Express flight 8646 operated by Jazz Aviation LP (Jazz) from Montreal to New York LaGuardia on March 22, 2026.

Jazz Aviation LP (operating as Air Canada Express), in a separate statement confirmed that the incident involving AC8646, operated by a CRJ900, occurred at LaGuardia (LGA).

Also Read: Air Canada plane crash: Pilots killed in firetruck collision at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, several injured

“Flight 8646 was enroute to LGA from Montréal (YUL). The preliminary passenger list indicates the aircraft was carrying 72 passengers and 4 crew members, although this is subject to confirmation. The incident occurred at approximately 11:47 PM on March 22, 2026,” Jazz said in the statement.

The New York LaGuardia Airport stated that the accident happened at approximately 11:40 pm on Sunday. “A Jazz Aviation flight operating on behalf of Air Canada was involved in an incident on Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport in which the aircraft struck a Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle that was responding to a separate incident,” it said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).

The airport stated that emergency response protocols were immediately activated and the Port Authority Police Department was 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, it added.

“This is a developing situation based on preliminary information. The Port Authority Police Department is working closely with our airline partners as well as federal authorities and will provide additional updates as more details become available,” LaGuardia Airport said.

The US NTSB said that it was launching a go team to investigate the March 22 Jazz Aviation, Air Canada Express Flight 8646, CRJ900, airplane that collided with a fire truck on Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport in New York NY.

“Chair Jennifer Homendy will serve as the on-scene spokesperson, accompanied by Member John DeLeeuw. The investigative team is expected to arrive today,” the NTSB said.

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Later, the airport authorities confirmed that NTSB officials reached the site for inspection. “The airport will remain closed until at least 2:00 pm Monday 3/23/26 to allow for a thorough investigation,” it added.

The US FAA released a statement, “Air Canada Express Flight 8646 struck an Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle after landing on Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport in New York. The accident occurred around 11:40 pm local time on Sunday, March 22.

“The CRJ-900 was arriving from Montreal. The FAA and NTSB will investigate. The NTSB is in charge of the investigation and will provide all updates. The airport is closed. Visit the NOTAM site for additional information,” the FAA statement on X read.