Horrifying new video captures the moment an Air Canada plane collided with a fire truck at New York City’s LaGuardia Airport late Sunday, killing both pilots, injuring dozens of passengers, and causing travel chaos.
Footage shows the plane slamming into a Port Authority fire truck on the runway, where the emergency vehicle was responding to an issue on another plane.
The jet involved in the crash landed in New York from Montreal with 72 passengers and four crew members onboard.
“Stop, stop, stop!” an air traffic dispatcher can be heard saying on control tower audio from the incident. A voice later adds: “I messed up.”
About 40 passengers and crew members were taken to nearby hospitals, some with serious injuries. Most had been released Monday morning, authorities said.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday that the deadly collision served as a reminder to “wear your seatbelts.”
LaGuardia reopened one runway at 2 p.m. Eastern on Monday, though the runway with the crash site is expected to be closed for days.
National Transportation Safety Board investigators are at work at the crash scene and have recovered the jet’s onboard data recorders.
Key Points
- Horror video captures moment of LaGuardia Airport runway collision
- Air Canada passenger plane in deadly collision with fire struck on New York runway
- Pilots warned of risky conditions at LaGuardia in years before crash, according to report
- Passenger describes 'eerie' scene after crash
- Delays at U.S. airports impacted NTSB response to LaGuardia crash, official says
Recap: Investigation ongoing after Air Canada passenger plane in deadly collision at LaGuardia Airport
09:00 , Joe SommerladIf you’re just joining us, here’s everything you need to know:
- An Air Canada passenger plane from Montreal with 76 people on board collided with a fire truck on the runway at LaGuardia Airport, New York, Sunday night
- The pilot and co-pilot of the plane, arriving from Montreal, were killed
- Forty-one passengers were taken to hospital. Most had been released by Monday morning, authorities said
- The busy Queens airport was closed until Monday afternoon but has since reopened
- National Transportation Safety Board investigators are still at work at the crash scene and have recovered the jet’s onboard data recorders
In pictures: Damaged Air Canada jet seen on runway as investigation into collision continues
13:51 , Joe Sommerlad
Passenger describes LaGuardia collision as ‘like a car crash at 200 mph’
13:00 , Joe SommerladJack Cabot, who was on the Air Canada flight involved in Sunday night’s incident, has been describing his experiences of what happened to Fox News.
PASSENGER ON LGA FLIGHT: “LIKE A CAR CRASH AT 200 MPH”
— The Will Cain Show (@WillCainShow) March 23, 2026
Air Canada passenger Jack Cabot describes the crash: “The brakes were being hit very hard… then a loud bang… we didn’t know whether we were gonna make it. It was like being in a gigantic car crash at 200 miles an hour.” pic.twitter.com/9TeHauF0N6
Analysis: Airport chaos and lines will only get worse as Trump keeps the Senate laser-focused on his SAVE act
12:30 , Joe SommerladThe president’s demand that Republicans link a bill that cannot pass the Senate to Homeland Security funding is sure to backfire, writes Eric Garcia – and Americans are paying the price.
Airport chaos will get worse as Trump keeps Senate laser-focused on SAVE AMERICA Act
Watch: NTSB says partial shutdown and long TSA lines have delayed response to LaGuardia plane crash
12:00 , Joe SommerladAir Canada pilot killed in truck collision had been flying since he was 16, family say
11:30 , Joe SommerladRelatives of Antoine Forest, 30, have confirmed that the Coteau-du-Lac, Quebec, native was one of the two pilots who died in Sunday’s crash.
Family members spoke with The Toronto Star Monday to identify Forest, who lived in the small town located about 25 miles southwest of Montreal.
Forest’s great-aunt, Jeannette Gagnier – whom he considered a grandmother – told the Star that he had been flying since he was 16 years old.
“He was always taking courses and flying,” Gagnier said, recalling how he first learned to pilot bush planes as a teenager. “He never stopped.”
Jasmine Fernandez reports.
Air Canada pilot killed in LaGuardia crash had been flying since 16, family say
Top story: ‘Hero’ pilots died saving their passengers after Air Canada flight crashed into fire truck at LaGuardia airport, survivor says
11:00 , Joe SommerladIf you are joining us for the first time, two pilots were killed and dozens of passengers injured when an Air Canada Express flight from Montreal landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport Sunday night collided with a fire truck on an active runway.
Here’s a complete account of how the disaster unfolded from Shweta Sharma, Paul Farrell, and Jasmine Fernandez.
‘Hero’ pilots died saving their passengers in Air Canada flight crash, survivor says
Watch: LaGuardia passenger recounts harrowing escape from Air Canada plane after crash
10:30 , Joe SommerladRebecca Liquori described her experience of the ordeal to CNN last night, saying the Air Canada smash began qith a “huge boom” that jolted passengers from their seats.
“I’m just grateful to be alive,” she said. “I'm grateful that I was able to go home and kiss my sons, be able to hug them, because when I was on the plane, I didn't think that I was ever going to get that opportunity again.”
Air Canada passenger recounts escape after plane crash on LaGuardia runway
In pictures: Officials visit Runway 4 in search of answers
10:00 , Joe SommerladSpeaking of Duffy, here he is alongside New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani at LaGuardia Monday, the trio joining forces to express their thanks to the emergency responders and attempt to get to the bottom of the communication breakdown that led to the disaster.
‘Seatbelts save lives,’ transportation secretary reminds Americans
09:30 , Joe SommerladSean Duffy visited the crash site at LaGuardia and afterwards offered this advice to travellers:
We are working around the clock to make sure traveling is safe for Americans.
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) March 23, 2026
Seatbelts save lives so let this be a reminder of the importance of wearing one, whether you are in a car or on a plane. pic.twitter.com/MX1h1IDXt1
Senior Trump official blames LaGuardia crash on Democrat push for 'open borders'
08:30 , Josh MarcusA senior Trump administration official alleges the Democratic immigration agenda is to blame for Sunday’s fatal crash at LaGuardia.
Speaking with Fox Business, Small Business Administration chief Kelly Loeffler claimed the ongoing partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security contributed to the crash, which she painted as a casualty of a demand for “open borders.”
“The Democrats, again, are exacting tremendous pressure on a system at the time when you least need it, when national security, when airport safety, is involved,” Loeffler said. “Democrats want to defund DHS at the expense of the American people, of the safety of the American people. We see it playing out across this country.”
The ongoing shutdown is indeed a result of hardball negotiations from Democrats, but they are seeking new legal safeguards and tactics reforms at DHS, rather than a new immigration policy, in the wake of agents fatally shooting two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis earlier this year.
Here’s more info on what’s driving the shutdown conversation.
Trump blames Dems for shutdown despite GOP controlling three branches of government
ICYMI: Survivors recount horrifying Air Canada crash at LaGuardia
08:00 , Josh MarcusTwo pilots were killed and dozens of passengers were injured when an Air Canada Express flight landing Sunday night at New York’s LaGuardia Airport collided with a fire truck on an active runway.
The crash occurred seconds after an air traffic controller realized a disaster was imminent.
“Stop, stop, stop! Truck 1, stop!” the controller can be heard shouting in audio recording.
It came too late to prevent the CRJ-900 jet from slamming into the emergency vehicle on Runway 4 around 11:40 p.m. The ground vehicle, identified as "Truck 1," had been cleared to cross the tarmac while responding to a separate emergency involving a United Airlines flight. A voice on the air traffic recording can be heard admitting they “messed up.”
Video footage also showed the horrific collision when the speeding jet crashed into the fire truck, which tried to avoid the plane at the last second.
More details in our full story.
LaGuardia Airport closed until Monday afternoon after fatal Air Canada crash
Canada deploys team to help investigate LaGuardia crash
06:59 , Josh Marcus
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is sending a team to help investigate Sunday’s crash at LaGuardia Airport in New York City, which involved an Air Canada jet and killed its two pilots.
The agency added that in keeping with international protocol, it will not be able to comment on the investigation, which is being led by its U.S. counterpart, the National Transportation Safety Board.
Recap: Officials identify one of the Air Canada pilots who died in LaGuardia crash
06:00 , Josh MarcusTwo pilots, including 30-year-old Antoine Forest, were killed and 41 people were injured late Sunday night when an Air Canada Express flight collided with a Port Authority fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
The Bombardier CRJ-900, operated by Jazz Aviation, was arriving from Montreal with 76 passengers and crew when it struck the emergency vehicle on Runway 4 at approximately 11:40 p.m. The truck had been cleared to cross the active runway while responding to a separate incident involving a United Airlines flight.
While federal authorities have not yet released the names of the flight crew, family members have begun identifying the victims. Both the pilot and co-pilot were based in Canada, according to Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada are conducting a joint investigation into the collision. The airport officially reopened at 2 p.m., though officials cautioned that only one of its two runways is currently operational.
Jasmine Fernández reports.
Air Canada pilot killed in LaGuardia crash had been flying since 16, family say
'He must have had incredible reflexes': Passenger thinks pilot's quick move saved lives
05:00 , Josh MarcusMultiple passengers aboard Sunday’s Air Canada flight that crashed at LaGuardia Airport have described its pilots suddenly slowing the plane as it traveled down the runway where it collided with an emergency truck.
“Just as the plane touched down, the pilot braked extremely hard,” Clément Lelièvre told The Canadian Press on Monday. “I don’t know the circumstances, but I think he kind of saved our lives because he must have had incredible reflexes.”
Both pilots were killed in the crash, according to officials.
LaGuardia crash came less than a week after near-collision at Newark Airport
04:00 , Josh MarcusPrior to Sunday’s crash at LaGuardia, there was another concerning safety incident at a New York-area airport.
A commercial airliner and a cargo plane came perilously close to colliding on intersecting runways at Newark Liberty International Airport during an aborted landing last Tuesday.
The close call involved an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 that flew over a FedEx Boeing 777 at the busy New York City-area airport. The two planes were reportedly about 300 feet apart.
According to the FAA, an air traffic controller instructed Alaska Airlines Flight 294, arriving from Portland, Oregon, to perform a “go around” – meaning to discontinue its landing approach and circle for a new attempt.
More details below.
Pilots warned of risky conditions at LaGuardia in years before crash: report
03:40 , Josh MarcusPilots flying into LaGuardia were reportedly concerned about poor communication and a fast pace of operations at the airport in the years leading up to Sunday’s fatal crash.
“The pace of operations is building in LGA. The controllers are pushing the line,” the pilot said in a report to NASA’s Aviation Safety Reporting System, obtained by CNN. “On thunderstorm days, LGA is starting to feel like DCA did before the accident there.”
The comment was a reference to a catastrophic collision last year between a military helicopter and a commercial jet near a Washington-area airport that killed 67 people.
In 2024, another report in the database described two planes nearly colliding on the ground at LaGuardia, allegedly because of inaccurate instructions from the airport’s air traffic controllers.
The claims paint a further picture of dysfunction at the busy New York hub, where two Delta jets collided on the runway last year.
Delta flights in collision at LaGuardia airport in New York with wing partly torn off
PHOTOS: Secretary of Transportation visits LaGuardia as crash investigation continues
03:20 , Josh MarcusTrump administration Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy visited LaGuardia International Airport on Monday, where he inspected the crash site with NTSB investigators and spoke alongside New York officials including Gov. Kathy Hochul.
“I am praying for the victims and all those impacted by the tragic crash of Air Canada Express 8646 at LaGuardia Airport,” he wrote on X.
Passenger describes 'eerie' scene after LaGuardia crash
02:55 , Josh MarcusRebecca Liquori, a nurse based in Baldwin, New York, was one of the survivors of Sunday’s crash at LaGuardia.
Speaking with CNN on Monday night, she described the Air Canada flight from Montreal arriving in New York with a harsh landing.
“We had a very rough landing,” she said. “It almost felt like the plane jolted, and after that you hear the pilot try to brake, and it was like a grinding noise. And then after that it was a huge boom and we all jolted out of our seats. It was an eerie couple of seconds and then we realized, okay, the flight crew is not able to give us guidance.”
Liquori said emergency slides did not deploy and she had to jump off the wing of the plane with help from first responders.
“I'm just grateful to be alive,” Liquori, who was in Canada to visit a friend’s new baby, added. “I'm grateful that I was able to go home and kiss my sons, be able to hug them, because when I was on the plane, I didn't think that I was ever going to get that opportunity again.”
FAA probing if air traffic control was distracted by other plane's problem: report
02:30 , Josh MarcusThe Federal Aviation Administration is reportedly investigating whether the air traffic control tower at LaGuardia was stretched thin by addressing a different plane’s problem during Sunday’s runway crash.
At the time of the crash, two controllers were in the tower, The New York Times reports.
One controller was speaking with a fire truck on its way to assist a United Airlines jet, which had reported a foul odor that was sickening flight attendants.
The truck was given the go-ahead to cross the runway, where it collided with an incoming Air Canada plane.
Staffing was lighter than normal in the tower at the time of the crash, given that there are typically less flights late at night, two unnamed sources told the paper.
Gavin Newsom trolls Trump over state of U.S. airports
02:10 , Josh MarcusCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom mocked President Trump on Monday over the ongoing chaos at U.S. airports by resurfacing a 2016 tweet from the Republican.
“While our wonderful president was out playing golf all day, the TSA is falling apart, just like our government!” Trump wrote in 2016, referring to President Barack Obama. “Airports a total disaster!”
“100% agree,” Newsom wrote on X on Monday, in the wake of the LaGuardia crash and ongoing delays and staffing shortages at U.S. airports.
100% agree. https://t.co/4oaLjQ7zWQ
— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) March 23, 2026
PHOTOS: NYC mayor visits response to LaGuardia crash
01:50 , Josh MarcusSunday’s crash at LaGuardia marks one of the first major emergencies in New York City since the recent election of Mayor Zohran Mamdani
He joined officials including Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul today at the airport to visit with investigators responding to the incident.
Former transportation official slams communication around LaGuardia crash
01:30 , Josh MarcusAirport officials appeared to suffer a major breakdown in communications in the lead-up to Sunday’s runway crash at LaGuardia, which occurred when an incoming jet struck a fire truck on the tarmac.
“Once that aircraft was cleared to land … it owned that runway,” Mary Schiavo, a former inspector general of the Department of Transportation, told The New York Post.
Audio captures an air traffic official clearing the truck’s route, only to unsuccessfully try to take back the confirmation moments later.
“Who gave the final clearance for that fire truck across the runway?” Schiavo added. “It should have been the tower, but clearly … someone made a very critical mistake in allowing a fire truck clearance to cross the runway when an aircraft had been given a landing clearance. That’s my take on it.”
Earlier today, Rhian Lubin had this timeline of the crash.
Timeline spells out what went wrong and led to deadly LaGuardia plane crash
WATCH: How airport delays impacted NTSB response to LaGuardia crash
01:10 , Josh MarcusAirline workers were under 'tremendous stress' before LaGuardia crash: NY governor
00:30 , Josh MarcusIn the wake of Sunday’s crash at LaGuardia, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul highlighted the intense conditions airport workers have faced in recent weeks, given the ongoing government shutdown and a related shortage of airport staff.
“Let’s acknowledge the tremendous stress, particularly in recent days, that our airline workers are under,” Hochul said on Monday. “And, as we come through here, know that this is an ecosystem which is not self-sustaining. There are countless individuals who step up every day, willing to do the hard work to make sure we’re safe.”
Investigators are still determining whether staffing issues impacted Sunday’s crash.
Alex Woodward has more information on the state U.S. airports.
ICE agents seen at multiple airports on Monday morning after Trump threat
Passengers on LaGuardia flight describe chaotic crash scene
00:10 , Josh MarcusAfter Sunday’s flight went down, a series of events left many passengers to find their own way out of the wreck.
The plane’s emergency slides did not activate after the crash, and some of the Air Canada flight’s crew was incapacitated.
“The flight attendant that was in the front, she got ejected from the plane,” passenger Rebecca Liquori, 35, told The New York Times. “So we really did not have direction.”
Flight attendant Solange Tremblay was ejected more than 100 meters from the plane but survived, Canada’s TVA Nouvelles reports.
“It’s a complete miracle,” her daughter Sarah Lépine told the outlet, originally in French. “At the moment of impact, her seat was ejected more than a hundred meters from the plane. They found her and she was still strapped into her seat. She had a guardian angel watching over her. It could have been much worse.”
Air traffic controllers union 'deeply saddened' by LaGuardia accident
Monday 23 March 2026 23:50 , Josh MarcusThe National Air Traffic Controllers Association is mourning those impacted by Sunday’s runway crash at LaGuardia.
The organization said in a statement on Monday it was “deeply saddened” by the collision between an Air Canada jet and an emergency vehicle.
“Our hearts are with the victims, their families, and all those affected during this incredibly difficult time,” the group wrote. “We extend our sincere condolences and stand in support of the entire aviation community including our brothers and sisters with the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and the Canadian Flight Attendant Union (CFAU: SABC) who have been affected by this tragedy.”
“As party to the investigation being conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), NATCA will not offer comment,” the group added. “Our union will wait for the NTSB to complete its work and use that information to help guide decisions and changes to enhance and improve aviation safety.”
Analysis: How Trump's SAVE Act push is causing airport chaos
Monday 23 March 2026 23:42 , Josh MarcusPresident Donald Trump might have once again snatched defeat from the jaws of victory for Senate Republicans when it comes to winning the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.
As the crash at LaGuardia International Airport that killed two Air Canada pilots caused further flight delays in the New York metro region Monday, Trump proceeded to escalate the showdown in two ways: First, he announced that he would send ICE agents to airports to full in for unpaid TSA agents who have been calling out sick in droves. Initially, Republicans seemed gleeful at the slap at Democrats.
“I think it’s justice,” Texas Sen. John Cornyn told The Independent. “Democrats don’t like ICE. So they got more ICE.”
Cornyn is facing a bruising primary against Attorney General Ken Paxton. He needs Trump’s endorsement for the win. Many Republicans just hope and pray that Trump will endorse Cornyn so the GOP does not have to spend millions to prop Paxton and all his baggage up against Democratic primary winner James Talarico.
Eric Garcia has the story.
Airport chaos will get worse as Trump keeps Senate laser-focused on SAVE AMERICA Act
More updates expected tomorrow on LaGuardia crash as NTSB sifts through 'tremendous' debris field
Monday 23 March 2026 23:15 , Josh Marcus
Federal investigators have conducted a walking inspection of the LaGuardia crash site, but officials offered few concrete updates about what caused Sunday’s late-night crash between an incoming Air Canada jet and a runway fire truck.
“There is a tremendous, tremendous amount of debris,” National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy told reporters on Monday.
The official said that investigators are still in the info-gathering stage and would wait until they could cross-reference data before sharing more with the public.
“We have a lot of data right now, a lot of information right now, including information on tower staffing,” she said. “But the NTSB deals in facts. We don’t speculate. We don’t take one person at their word. We verify that information carefully before we provide it, so that is something that we still have to do.”
The data-gathering process on Monday included investigators cutting a hole in the crashed jet to access onboard flight data recorders, which have since been driven to the agency’s labs in Washington, D.C.
Agency staffers continue to inspect the site, and will take detailed photographs of the debris-strewn runway before collecting the scattered materials for analysis.
Homendy declined to comment specifically on what was being done with the air traffic controllers on shift during the crash, but said they would be typically removed from duty and interviewed at a suitable time.
“Certainly it’s pretty traumatic for that air traffic controller as well,” she said.
“It’s going to be days” before the runway where the crash took place reopens, Homendy said.
Delays at U.S. airports impacted NTSB response to LaGuardia crash
Monday 23 March 2026 22:59 , Josh Marcus
A shortage of TSA officers and wider issues with delays at U.S. airports because of the ongoing partial government shutdown slowed the ability of the National Transportation Safety Board to respond to the LaGuardia crash scene, according to officials.
Investigators began arriving at the New York City airport around 3:10 a.m. on Monday morning, NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy told reporters, but the delays kept others from arriving quickly.
“It’s been a really big challenge to get the entire team here, and they’re still arriving as we speak,” Homendy said.
One staffer was delayed hours at the Houston airport, she said.
Investigators are slated to continue arriving into New York through about 1 a.m. on Tuesday.
Video captures moment of LaGuardia runway collision
Monday 23 March 2026 22:50 , Josh MarcusFootage shows the moment an Air Canada plane collided with a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport in New York on Sunday.
The commercial jet struck the Port Authority fire truck on the runway, where it was attending to another issue on a different plane which had “requested support.”
The pilot and copilot were killed, while about 40 passengers and crew members were taken to nearby hospitals, some with serious injuries.
A flight attendant was found alive on the ground by rescuers, still strapped to her seat which had fallen through a hole in the floor of the plane. Her injuries are reportedly not life threatening.
Horror moment plane hits fire truck at LaGuardia airport killing both pilots
NTSB provides updates on LaGuardia crash
Monday 23 March 2026 22:41 , Josh MarcusFederal transit investigators are updating the public about the LaGuardia crash.
You can see the remarks live here.
What we know about the victims of the LaGuardia crash
Monday 23 March 2026 22:27 , Josh MarcusTwo pilots, including 30-year-old Antoine Forest, were killed and 41 people were injured late Sunday night when an Air Canada Express flight collided with a Port Authority fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
The Bombardier CRJ-900, operated by Jazz Aviation, was arriving from Montreal with 76 passengers and crew when it struck the emergency vehicle on Runway 4 at approximately 11:40 p.m. The truck had been cleared to cross the active runway while responding to a separate incident involving a United Airlines flight.
While federal authorities have not yet released the names of the flight crew, family members have begun identifying the victims. Both the pilot and co-pilot were based in Canada, according to Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada are conducting a joint investigation into the collision. The airport officially reopened at 2 p.m., though officials cautioned that only one of its two runways is currently operational.
Jasmine Fernández has the story.
Air Canada pilot killed in LaGuardia crash had been flying since 16, family say
Average delays into LaGuardia approach 3 hours
Monday 23 March 2026 22:10 , Josh MarcusTravelers heading into New York City’s LaGuardia airport continue to face heavy delays, after a plane crashed on the runway there late Sunday night.
At the present, the average delay for flights into LGA was about 171 minutes, according to U.S. transit officials.
LaGuardia crash comes at sensitive time for U.S. air travel
Monday 23 March 2026 21:55 , Josh MarcusSunday’s late-night crash at LaGuardia comes at a time of considerable strain on the U.S. air travel system.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the airport-focused Transportation Security Administration, has gone without funding for weeks amid an ongoing partial government shutdown.
The U.S. war with Iran has added further travel safety concerns.
And the crash comes after a series of high-profile air accidents in the U.S., including a lethal 2025 collision between a military helicopter and a passenger jet at a busy Washington-area airport that killed 67 people.
ICE agents seen at multiple airports on Monday morning after Trump threat
Port Authority IDs individuals in truck that collided with plane
Monday 23 March 2026 21:35 , Josh MarcusTwo people who were in a fire truck that collided with an incoming Air Canada jet at LaGuardia on Sunday have been identified.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees New York City-area airports, named the individuals as Sgt. Michael Orsillo and Officer Adrian Baez.
"Both were taken to New York Presbyterian Hospital," Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia said during a press conference on Monday. "We expect one to be released later this afternoon, and the other to be kept overnight for observation."
