On Sunday, March 22, 2026, just before midnight, a runway collision occurred at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, resulting in the deaths of two pilots and leaving dozens of others injured. The incident involved Air Canada Express Flight 8646, which arrived from Montreal with 72 passengers and four crew members on board. 
At approximately 11:40 p.m., shortly after landing on Runway 4, the aircraft struck a Port Authority firefighting truck. The emergency vehicle was reportedly crossing the runway to respond to a separate “odor” emergency on a United Airlines flight. Air traffic control (ATC) recordings capture a controller clearing the truck to cross before frantically shouting, “Stop, stop, stop!” moments before the collision. In the aftermath, the same controller was heard saying, “I messed up.” according to sources.
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Fatalities: Both the pilot and co-pilot, identified as Canadian nationals, were killed in the impact.
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Injuries: At least 41 people were hospitalized, including 39 from the aircraft and two officers in the fire truck. While 32 have been released, several remain in serious condition. In one dramatic instance, a flight attendant was thrown from the aircraft while still strapped to her seat but survived.
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Damage: The collision severed the nose of the jet, leaving the cockpit mangled and the plane tilted upward on its tail. The fire truck that was collided with was flipped onto its side.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recovered the “black boxes” (Flight Data recorders and Cockpit Voice Recorders) and is leading the investigation into the communication during the flight. Monday morning flights in and out of LaGuardia were canceled and 1000’s were rebooked. LaGuardia reopened for limited operations at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, however Runway 4 is expected to remain closed for several days for debris removal.
