Two pilots killed as plane collides with fire truck at New York airport

A routine landing turned into a scene of devastation at LaGuardia Airport, as tragedy struck an Air Canada Express flight arriving from Montreal. In a catastrophic moment on the runway, the CRJ-900 aircraft collided with a ground vehicle, claiming the lives of both the pilot and co-pilot and leaving scores injured.

The impact — reportedly involving a fire truck — triggered immediate chaos, sending emergency crews scrambling across Runway 4 as flames, debris, and urgency filled the air. Operations at the busy New York airport were swiftly suspended, with a full ground stop imposed to contain the crisis and clear the runway for rescue efforts.

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the airport’s closure, citing the severity of the collision and the need for an intensive emergency response. Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting units rushed to the scene, working amid the wreckage to assist the injured and secure the area.

Disturbing fragments of audio circulating online suggest a final, desperate attempt to avert disaster — air traffic control reportedly issuing repeated instructions to both the cockpit and the ground vehicle to halt, mere moments before the fatal impact.

While official details remain limited, unconfirmed reports point to multiple serious injuries among firefighters, with over a hundred passengers on board the aircraft also said to have been hurt in the collision. The full extent of the damage is yet to be determined.

As investigators begin piecing together the sequence of events, the runway lies silent — its usual rhythm of arrivals and departures replaced by the weight of an unfolding tragedy. The airport is expected to remain shut for hours, with authorities warning of a potentially prolonged disruption as they probe how a moment meant for landing descended into disaster.

With IANS inputs