An Air Canada Express regional jet crashed into a fire truck while landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night, killing both pilots in a horrifying runway collision. The aircraft, a CRJ-900 operated by Jazz Aviation as Flight 8646 from Montreal, was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members when it struck the Port Authority vehicle on Runway 4 at about 11:45 p.m. The impact left the aircraft heavily damaged, injured dozens of people, and forced one of the nation’s busiest airports to shut down as federal investigators moved in.

The fire truck had been responding to a separate emergency involving a United Airlines flight that had aborted takeoff after a reported odor on board. According to reporting and air traffic control audio, both the aircraft and the truck had received movement clearances during the overlapping emergency response, and controllers were heard yelling for the vehicle to stop moments before the collision. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are now investigating how coordination failed so badly during a high-pressure situation.

The two victims were the pilot and first officer of the Air Canada Express flight, while numerous passengers and emergency personnel were also hurt. Reuters reported that 41 people were hospitalized, including nine in serious condition, though earlier accounts described lower confirmed injury counts as officials worked through the chaotic aftermath. The crash also triggered widespread travel disruption, with LaGuardia closed until at least 2 p.m. Monday and hundreds of flights canceled or delayed.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he was heading to the site and offered prayers for the victims’ families as the federal response ramped up. The deadly collision immediately raised fresh concerns about runway safety, emergency vehicle coordination, and air traffic control procedures at a major U.S. airport already under intense scrutiny. With investigators now examining controller instructions, airport ground movements, and response protocols, the incident is likely to become a major test case for aviation safety reform.