Pilot, copilot killed in runway collision between jet and fire truck at LaGuardia Airport A pilot and copilot were killed late Sunday when an Air Canada plane collided with a fire truck while landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, officials confirmed. The incident occurred around 11:40 p.m. on Runway 4, where the Jazz Aviation flight—operating for Air Canada—struck a Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle responding to a separate incident. LaGuardia Airport released a statement detailing the collision, which involved a plane carrying 72 passengers and four crew members. Authorities reported that 39 passengers and crew were taken to nearby hospitals, though some have since been released. Two Port Authority employees in the fire truck sustained non-life-threatening injuries, according to Kathryn Garcia, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Garcia noted during a news conference that the pilot and copilot were based in Canada. The airport announced it would remain closed until at least 2 p.m. on Monday to allow for a full investigation led by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Garcia stated that the fire truck was en route to address a separate incident involving a United Airlines flight, where the pilot had reported “an issue with odor.” She deferred further details about the sequence of events to the NTSB. Air traffic controllers were heard on a radio transmission giving clearance to a vehicle to cross part of the tarmac before attempting to stop it. The controller urgently ordered the vehicle to halt and diverted an incoming aircraft from landing. The incident occurred amid a partial government shutdown affecting airport security checkpoints, though air traffic controllers were not impacted by the shutdown.#united_airlines #la_guardia_airport #air_canada #port_authority #national_transportation_safety_board
