UPDATE: Confirmed Deaths, ATC Error Under Investigation
Updated March 23, 2026. Federal investigators have confirmed that the Air Canada Express CRJ-900’s captain and first officer were killed when the aircraft struck a Port Authority Fire Department vehicle on Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night. Five firefighters who were on the truck at the time of the collision were transported to area hospitals; three remain in critical condition as of Monday morning.
The National Transportation Safety Board, which arrived on scene overnight and assumed lead investigative authority from the FAA, has confirmed that air traffic control issued conflicting runway clearances in the minutes before the collision. According to initial NTSB findings, the fire truck was operating under an active clearance to cross Runway 4 when the CRJ-900 received a takeoff clearance on the same runway from a different controller position. The NTSB has not yet determined whether crew resource management or aircraft systems failures were contributing factors.
This story came from public records we pulled ourselves
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LaGuardia Airport remains closed to commercial traffic as of Monday morning. The FAA has issued a NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) with no estimated reopening time. Dozens of flights have been diverted to JFK, Newark Liberty, and Philadelphia International Airport. Airlines including Air Canada, Delta, United, and American have activated irregular operations protocols and are waiving change and cancellation fees for affected travelers.
The fire truck, designated Engine 4-22 of the Port Authority Fire Department, was responding to a reported fuel spill on the airfield when it was struck. Images from the scene show the nose section of the CRJ-900 sustained catastrophic structural damage consistent with a high-speed ground impact. The aircraft’s flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have been recovered and transferred to the NTSB’s Vehicle Recorder Laboratory in Washington, D.C. for analysis.
The ATC recordings from the tower have been preserved and are under active review. The FAA has placed the two controllers on administrative leave pending investigation, consistent with standard protocol following a runway incursion event.
This story is developing. CNY Signal will continue to update as the NTSB releases findings. Original story continues below.
LaGuardia Airport is closed and a mass casualty incident has been declared after an Air Canada Express regional jet obliterated its nose striking a Port Authority fire truck on the runway Sunday night, leaving five first responders in critical condition and the aircraft’s front section completely shredded on impact.
The collision occurred at approximately 11:30 PM EST on Sunday, March 22, when an Air Canada Express Bombardier CRJ-900, arriving on an inbound flight from Montreal, struck a fire truck on Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York. The impact was catastrophic: photos from the scene show the entire forward section of the aircraft reduced to twisted wreckage, the fuselage tilted skyward with emergency crews working around the debris in the rain.
What We Know Right Now
- Five Port Authority first responders were aboard the fire truck at the time of the collision. All five are reported in critical condition.
- A mass casualty incident has been formally declared by emergency management officials on scene.
- Fatalities have not been confirmed by any official agency at this time, but the conditions are described as serious and rapidly evolving.
- The aircraft carried 76 passengers and crew, all of whom were evacuated onto the tarmac.
- The New York Fire Department confirmed crews received reports of an aircraft-vehicle collision and responded immediately.
- The NYPD confirmed it is aware of and responding to the incident.
- The FAA declared a full ground stop at 11:50 PM EST, LaGuardia Airport is closed to all arrivals and departures.
- All inbound flights have been diverted to JFK International Airport.
The Scene: “Nose Is Gone”
Photos and videos circulating from eyewitnesses on and around the airfield tell a stark story. The Air Canada Express CRJ-900’s nose, the entire forward section of the fuselage, is completely gone, reduced to a mass of crumpled metal and torn aircraft skin. The runway sign for Exit E, Runway 4-22 is visible just feet from where the wreckage came to rest. The tail of the aircraft points sharply into the night sky while the destroyed front section contacts the ground.
Conditions That Night
New York City was experiencing heavy rain and reduced visibility Sunday night. LaGuardia had already issued a flight disruption advisory at 8:30 PM EST, roughly three hours before the collision, citing weather conditions. How a landing aircraft and a fire truck came to be on the same stretch of active runway simultaneously, in those conditions, will be the central question of the investigation.
What This Means If You’re Flying
LaGuardia serves as a major connecting hub for travelers throughout the Northeast, including passengers departing from Syracuse Hancock International Airport. If you have any connection through LaGuardia tonight or into Monday morning, plan for major disruption. JFK is absorbing all diverted traffic, with cascading delays expected through the Monday morning departure bank. Contact your airline directly before heading to any airport. LaGuardia remains fully closed as of this writing.
What Comes Next
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and FAA will lead the investigation. The aircraft will remain on Runway 4 until investigators document the full scene. Port Authority Police, NYPD, and NYFD are all on site. Air Canada has not yet issued a public statement.
CNY Signal will update this story as official statements are released. This is a developing situation, confirmed details are limited and may change as authorities hold formal briefings.
Sources: Daily Mail, NYPD, NYFD, FAA ground stop records, eyewitness photos and video. This story is developing.
