An Air Canada Express regional jet collided with a fire truck on a runway at New York's LaGuardia Airport late Sunday, injuring four people and forcing the closure of one of the country's busiest aviation hubs.
The Jazz Aviation flight operating on behalf of Air Canada struck a Port Authority vehicle late Sunday night, according to authorities. The New York City Fire Department responded to the incident on the airport's runway at around 11:38 p.m. The Federal Aviation Administration identified the aircraft as a Bombardier CRJ-900 twin-jet aircraft flown by Air Canada Express from Montreal.
The pilot and copilot on the flight are badly injured, while a sergeant and an officer have broken limbs and are in stable condition at a hospital. The plane was carrying 76 passengers and four crew members, though Jazz Aviation said the numbers were based on a preliminary passenger list that remains subject to confirmation.
The plane was at the end of landing and going about 30 mph when the collision occurred. The Port Authority aircraft rescue and firefighting truck was responding to a separate incident when it was struck. The accident happened on LaGuardia's Runway 4.
The airport was closed and flights were subject to a ground stop because of an aircraft emergency. Inbound flights were diverted to nearby airports, including New York JFK and Newark. Videos circulating on social media showed the aircraft with its cockpit high and the underside of its forward fuselage mangled.
The National Transportation Safety Board launched a go team to investigate the collision. LaGuardia is in New York City's Queens borough.
The incident has triggered significant disruptions across the region. According to the Port Authority, LaGuardia sees an average of over 400 flights per day. Passengers in the New York area were advised to expect cascading flight cancellations and delays as neighbouring airports absorbed the diverted traffic.