Plane Crashes Into Fire Truck At Laguardia Airport, Killing Both Pilots

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The aviator and co-pilot connected Air Canada formation 8646 died precocious Sunday night after their level collided pinch a firetruck astatine at LaGuardia Airport successful New York. The level carried 72 different passengers and 4 unit members, while nan firetruck had 2 Port Authority labor connected board. According to nan Associated Press, more than 40 people, including some Port Authority motortruck drivers, were taken to nan hospital, but astir person already been released. 

The clang happened aft a occurrence motortruck was cleared by aerial postulation power to a runway successful consequence to a study of an overseas smell from a United Airlines plane. At nan aforesaid time, Air Canada formation 8646 was landing, aft coming successful from Montreal. In leaked audio, you tin perceive nan controller springiness clearance to nan firetruck, and past soon afterwards, many times show them to stop. 

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Jazz Aviation, nan hose operating nether Air Canada, confirmed nan clang and issued a statement.

"Flight 8646 was en way to LGA from Montréal (YUL). The preliminary rider database indicates nan craft was carrying 72 passengers and 4 unit members, though this is taxable to confirmation. The incident occurred astatine astir 11:47PM connected March 22, 2026. Further specifications will travel arsenic soon arsenic possible."

Photos from nan clang show nan Bombardier CRJ's chemoreceptor wholly demolished and sticking up successful nan air, pinch debris hanging down. Passengers were still capable to exit nan level via stairways placed astatine nan emergency exit doors.

Since nan plane's cockpit was crushed during nan crash, sidesplitting some aviator and co-pilot, passengers didn't person immoderate accusation astir what happened aliases what to do. CNN said to 1 of nan passengers aboard formation 8646, who said astir nan chaotic aftermath pursuing nan crash. "Pretty quickly, we didn't person immoderate directions because nan pilot's compartment had been benignant of destroyed, truthful personification said let's get nan emergency exit and each jump out, and that's what we did." Officials closed LaGuardia Airport astatine 3:16 a.m. connected March 23, and is expected to reopen astatine 2:00 p.m.