By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
- A regional Air Canada Express jet struck a Port Authority fire truck at LaGuardia Airport while landing late March 22, killing the pilot and co-pilot, officials said.
- The fire vehicle was responding to a separate incident on the runway, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department reported.
- Two Port Authority Police officers in the truck were treated for broken bones, authorities said.
- Dozens of passengers and crew aboard the flight were taken to area hospitals with injuries.
- Federal aviation agencies have launched an investigation into the collision.
NEW YORK, NY — A regional Air Canada Express jet collided with a Port Authority fire truck on the runway at LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night, killing the aircraft’s pilot and co-pilot and injuring others, officials said.
The aircraft, identified as Air Canada Express Flight 8646, was landing from Montréal when it struck the Port Authority rescue and firefighting vehicle that was crossing an active runway to respond to a separate incident, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and multiple news reports.
Two Port Authority Police officers inside the fire truck were treated for broken bones and other injuries, and more than 40 passengers and crew members on board the jet were taken to hospitals with a range of injuries, officials said.
The pilots were pronounced dead at the scene, and authorities temporarily closed the airport as emergency responders and federal investigators worked at the collision site.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are leading an ongoing investigation into the circumstances that led to the runway collision, including sequencing of runway traffic and emergency response movements.