Summary (tl;dr)

An Air Canada Express flight collided with a fire truck on the runway at LaGuardia Airport on March 22, 2026, resulting in the deaths of both pilots and injuries to dozens of passengers and crew.

Essential Background

The incident occurred as Air Canada Express Flight 8646, operated by Jazz Aviation and arriving from Montreal, was landing at LaGuardia Airport late on Sunday, March 22, 2026. The airport's fire truck was simultaneously on the runway, responding to a separate emergency involving a United Airlines flight that had reported an odor issue. This overlapping activity on the runway appears to be a critical factor leading to the collision.

The Full Story

On the night of March 22, 2026, Air Canada Express Flight 8646, a Bombardier CRJ900 carrying 72 passengers and four crew members, collided with a Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) vehicle on Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport. The impact, which occurred at approximately 11:37 p.m. ET, crushed the nose of the aircraft, destroying the cockpit and forward galley sections. Tragically, both pilots, Antoine Forest and Mackenzie Gunther, were killed. Forty-one people were hospitalized, including passengers, crew members, and the two officers in the fire truck, although most passenger injuries were minor. The fire truck was reportedly responding to an unrelated incident on the runway when the collision happened. Air traffic control audio indicates urgent attempts to stop the fire truck just moments before the crash, suggesting a potential breakdown in communication or coordination. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), led by Chair Jennifer Homendy, has launched a "go team" to investigate the incident, recovering the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder for analysis. LaGuardia Airport was temporarily closed following the accident, leading to significant flight cancellations and delays.

Why It Matters

This severe runway collision at a major U.S. airport has resulted in fatalities and raised serious concerns about aviation safety protocols, particularly regarding runway incursions and air traffic control communication. The deaths of the pilots, who some passengers credit with heroic actions to mitigate the crash, underscore the tragic human cost of the incident. The NTSB investigation will be crucial in determining the exact cause and identifying systemic issues, potentially leading to new regulations or improved procedures to prevent similar accidents. Furthermore, the temporary closure of LaGuardia Airport caused widespread travel disruptions, highlighting the ripple effects of such incidents on air travel infrastructure and the public.

Geographic Location

• LaGuardia Airport, Queens, New York, United States (airplane-fire truck collision)
• Montréal–Trudeau International Airport, Dorval, Quebec, Canada (origin of flight AC8646)