Air Canada flight AC8646 collided with a fire truck at LaGuardia, resulting in two pilot deaths and multiple injuries, with officials probing the cause.
An Air Canada flight, AC8646, crashed into a fire truck on the runway at New York's LaGuardia Airport around 23:40 local time on Sunday. The collision killed two pilots and injured 41 people, some with serious injuries. Eyewitnesses described the impact as severe, with one passenger comparing it to the plane being "cut in half."
Leo Medina, a 23-year-old passenger on a nearby plane, witnessed the event from about 100 meters away and reported waiting over 12 hours at the airport afterward. Another passenger, Rebecca Liquori, who was on the affected flight from Montreal, recounted a loud "boom" after a rough landing, followed by the plane jolting and passengers being thrown from their seats.
Official Responses and Casualties
US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy visited the site and emphasized the life-saving role of seat belts. FAA administrator Bran Bedford identified one deceased pilot as 30-year-old Antoine Forest from Québec, describing the loss as a tragedy for two young pilots early in their careers. The second pilot's name has not been released.
Air traffic control audio captured a staff member urgently shouting, "Truck One, stop, stop, stop!" moments before the crash. The fire truck was responding to an odor issue on another aircraft, according to Port Authority executive director Kathryn Garcia.
Passengers like Jack Cabot described scenes of chaos inside the plane, with people screaming and hunkering down. A flight attendant was found alive, strapped to her seat outside the aircraft after falling through a hole in the floor, and was hospitalized with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called it a "tragic collision" and praised first responders for their quick actions. Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney termed the event "deeply saddening," while US President Donald Trump described it as "terrible."
LaGuardia Airport, one of the busiest in the US, closed until 1400 on Monday, causing hundreds of flight delays and cancellations. This marks the first fatal incident at the airport in over 34 years, amid ongoing challenges like TSA staffing shortages due to a government shutdown.
