Two pilots killed as Air Canada flight collides with truck at New York's LaGuardia Airport

A pilot and co-pilot were killed after an Air Canada Express passenger plane collided with a fire truck once it landed at LaGuardia Airport runway in New York late Sunday (March 22), according to US media reports.

At least 13 people, including two firefighters, were injured when the incoming flight collided with a fire engine on runway 4 of the airport, according to NBC and Sky News reports. A sergeant and an officer on the fire truck have broken limbs and are in stable condition at a hospital.

Several videos of the aftermath emerged on social media showing evacuation and rescue operations at the airport. Images show the severely damaged Air Canada plane illuminated by floodlights and emergency vehicles parked nearby on the runway.

Accident on Runway 4

“At approximately 11:40 p.m. 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," the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said in a statement.

Meanwhile, FlightRadar 2 said that the CRJ-900 plane, which was coming from Montreal, struck the vehicle at a speed of about 24 miles per hour (39 kph) at the airport in New York City's Queens borough.

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The statement noted the Port Authority Police Department and the agency's chairman and executive director are at the scene on the airport's runway, which is closed while the accident is investigated.

Jazz Aviation LP, operating as Air Canada Express, too issued a statement confirming the accident. The airline said a preliminary passenger list, which is subject to confirmation, indicates there were 72 passengers and four crew members. Data shows the flight originated at Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, the major airport serving Montreal, according to online flight tracker FlightAware.

A spokesperson for the New York City Fire Department said firefighters responded to reports of a plane that crashed into a vehicle on the runway at 11.38 pm. Additional information was not immediately available.

LaGuardia airport shuts down

Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an immediate ground stop for all flights at LaGuardia Airport. The FAA notice showed that the reason for the halt at the airport was an emergency, and there was a high probability of an extension, without specifying any details.

LaGuardia Airport's website showed all arriving planes have either been diverted to other airports or returned to their point of origin.

In a separate notice to airmen, the FAA said that the airport could be shut until 1800 GMT. However, authorities have not yet released details on injuries or the extent of the damage.

According to US media reports, four crew members along with 72 passengers were aboard the jet --a Bombardier CRJ-900-- and their conditions are being evaluated. Citing sources, the New York Post said the plane was carrying a group of Orthodox Jews from the New York area.

At the time of the incident, the fire truck had reportedly been cleared to cross Runway 4 to respond to a separate emergency involving a United Airlines 737 Max, which had reported a "strange odour" that was creating a sickness among the crew members.

(With agency inputs)