Air Canada Express Plane Collides with Fire Truck at LaGuardia: Two Dead

Tragedy on the Runway

On Sunday, March 22nd, shortly before midnight local time, one of the most serious aviation incidents in recent years in the U.S. occurred at New York's LaGuardia Airport. An Air Canada Express, Flight 8646 — a Bombardier CRJ-900 operated by Jazz Aviation — collided with a Port Authority fire truck on the active runway while landing from Montreal.

Both pilots died in the collision: thirty-year-old Captain Antoine Forest from Coteau-du-Lac, Quebec, Canada, and First Officer Mackenzie Gunther. The front of the aircraft was completely destroyed on impact. There were 72 passengers and four crew members on board.

Desperate 'Stop, Stop, Stop' from the Tower

According to air traffic control tower recordings, the fire truck was initially cleared to cross Runway 4 — responding to a United Airlines flight reporting a suspicious odor on board. However, as the Air Canada plane approached landing, the controller frantically called out: "Truck One, stop, stop, stop!"

It was too late. The aircraft was traveling at 93 to 105 miles per hour (approximately 150–170 km/h) at the moment of impact, according to FlightRadar24 data. One of the controllers later admitted to a failure: "I was trying to contact my people, but we were dealing with another emergency, and I made a mistake."

Dozens Injured, Flight Attendant Ejected from Plane

A total of 41 people were taken to hospitals — 39 from the plane and two firefighters from the truck. The injured included patients with fractures and brain bleeds. Thirty-two people were later released, but several remain hospitalized with serious injuries.

Particularly dramatic was the fate of flight attendant Solange Tremblay, who was ejected from the torn fuselage of the aircraft on impact, even though she was strapped into her jump seat. According to her daughter, Sarah Lépinová, she suffered a broken leg requiring surgery but survived — which the family described as a miracle given the extent of the accident.

Investigation and Safety Questions

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) immediately dispatched a team of investigators. Both black boxes were recovered and taken to Washington for analysis. The investigation is focusing on the communication breakdown between the tower and ground personnel, as well as the number of controllers on duty. According to the NTSB, it will take 12 to 18 months.

LaGuardia Airport resumed operations on Monday afternoon, but the runway where the collision occurred will remain closed until Friday.

A Warning Sign for Europe Too

The incident revives the discussion about so-called runway incursions — unauthorized entries onto active runways. According to EUROCONTROL, there are at least two such incidents daily in European airspace, with nearly 70% of them related to faulty communication between the tower and crews. International ICAO protocols also apply at Slovak airports, but the tragedy at LaGuardia reminds us that even the most modern systems cannot prevent human error.