Fatal LaGuardia Runway Collision Claims Two Jazz Aviation Pilots

NEW YORK — A fatal runway collision at LaGuardia Airport on March 22, 2026, claimed the lives of two Jazz Aviation pilots when their Bombardier CRJ-900 struck an airport rescue and firefighting truck.

The aircraft was operating as Flight AC8646 for Air Canada Express, arriving from Montreal, when it collided with the ARFF truck on Runway 4 at 11:37 p.m. The impact demolished the aircraft and injured dozens of passengers. The National Transportation Safety Board investigation revealed that air traffic control error contributed to the tragedy. The tower controller, distracted by a separate United Airlines emergency involving smoke and fumes, cleared the fire truck to cross Runway 4 just 20 seconds before the approaching CRJ-900 touched down at 100 feet altitude. Despite the controller's last-second stop command and the pilot's maximum braking effort, the collision was unavoidable.

The incident highlighted ongoing safety concerns at LaGuardia, where government records show multiple pilot reports over the past two years citing air traffic control miscommunications and near-miss runway incidents. The NTSB has recovered the flight data recorder containing 80 hours of data as the investigation continues. The controller later admitted on ground radio frequency that he had "messed up" while dealing with the earlier emergency.