Fatal Runway Collision at LaGuardia Kills Two Air Canada Express Pilots

NEW YORK — Two pilots died when Air Canada Express Flight 8646 collided with an airport fire truck during landing rollout at LaGuardia Airport on March 22, 2026, marking one of the most serious runway incursions in recent years.

The Jazz Aviation Bombardier CRJ-900LR, carrying 72-76 passengers and crew from Montreal, struck the Airport Rescue and Firefighting vehicle near Taxiway Delta on Runway 4. The impact at approximately 104 mph killed Captain Antoine Forest, 30, and the first officer, while injuring 39-43 others including passengers, crew and two fire truck occupants. The aircraft's cockpit was destroyed in the head-on collision.

Preliminary reports suggest an air traffic control clearance error allowed the fire truck to enter the runway ahead of the landing aircraft. The National Transportation Safety Board deployed investigators March 23 to examine ATC communications, staffing levels and weather conditions. Runway conflict detection alerts reportedly sounded during the incident, but warnings came too late to prevent the collision. The crash highlights ongoing concerns about runway incursions, with the FAA reporting 97 such incidents nationwide in recent months.