Air Canada Pilots Killed in LaGuardia Runway Collision With Fire Truck

NEW YORK — Both pilots of an Air Canada Express flight were killed when their Bombardier CRJ-900 collided head-on with a Port Authority fire truck on Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport at 11:45 p.m. March 22, 2026.

Flight 4686, operated by Jazz Aviation with 72 passengers and four crew members, struck the Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting truck at speeds between 93 and 105 mph during landing in mist and fog conditions. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the pilot fatalities, while a Port Authority executive said 43 people were hospitalized, including passengers, crew and at least two firefighters with broken bones and serious injuries.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said investigators have recovered both flight recorders and deployed a go team to examine significant debris on the runway. Air traffic control had cleared the ARFF truck to cross Runway 4 at Taxiway Delta following an earlier rejected takeoff, but issued an urgent stop command seconds before impact. The incident marks the first fatal crash at LaGuardia in 34 years and has renewed focus on runway incursion risks. The airport reopened March 23 on one runway, with Runway 4 expected to remain closed until March 27.