Air Canada Express jet collides with ground vehicle in New York, several injured

An Air Canada Express regional jet collided with a ground vehicle while landing at LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night, temporarily shutting down the airport, according to flight tracking data and multiple news reports.

The CRJ-900 aircraft, arriving from Montreal, struck a fire truck operated by police officers at approximately 24 miles per hour (39 kph), according to flight data from Flightradar24, which last recorded the plane’s position at 11:37 PM ET (0337 GMT, on Monday).

Photos captured at the scene by Reuters showed significant damage to the nose of the plane, which appeared tilted upward after the collision.

NBC News reported that four people sustained injuries in the incident. The airline’s pilot and copilot were seriously hurt, while a police sergeant and an officer suffered broken limbs. All four were transported to a local hospital and are currently in stable condition.

Airport operations were briefly suspended while emergency crews responded to the scene, cleared the damaged aircraft, and assessed the safety of the runway. Details about the cause of the collision are still under investigation.

Air Canada Express has not yet released an official statement, and LaGuardia Airport authorities are expected to provide further updates as the investigation continues.

This incident underscores the critical coordination required between air traffic control, emergency response teams, and ground operations at major airports, particularly during busy evening hours.