Air Canada LaGuardia collision kills two pilots, injures 41, grounds flights for 12 hours

A fatal runway collision at LaGuardia Airport on March 22, 2026, killed both pilots of Air Canada Flight 8646 and injured 41 passengers and crew when the arriving CRJ-900 from Montreal struck a fire truck at 93–105 mph during landing. The airport shut down for more than 12 hours, and Runway 4 remains closed until March 27, 2026, 7 a.m., forcing hundreds of flight cancellations and diversions across Delta, United, and Air Canada networks.

The runway safety system failed to alert air traffic control because the fire truck lacked a transponder — not required at LaGuardia. Survivor accounts describe a hard stop, chaos in the cabin, and passengers self-evacuating through emergency exits after both pilots were killed on impact.

An Air Canada Jazz Aviation regional jet carrying 72 passengers collided with a Port Authority fire truck on LaGuardia’s Runway 4 late Saturday night, killing both pilots instantly and sending dozens to hospitals. The CRJ-900, arriving from Montreal as Flight 8646, was traveling between 93 and 105 mph when it struck the truck responding to an unrelated United Airlines aborted takeoff.

Captain Antoine Forest and his co-pilot died in the cockpit, which was shredded on impact. Forty-one people were hospitalized, including 39 passengers and two firefighters — both expected to recover.

The airport remained closed for more than 12 hours. Partial operations resumed March 24 at 2 p.m., but Runway 4 — LaGuardia’s primary arrival runway — will not reopen until March 27 at 7 a.m. Travelers with bookings through LaGuardia between March 22 and March 27 face cancellations, diversions to JFK or Newark, or multi-hour delays.

The NTSB deployed a go-team to investigate why the runway incursion alert system failed. The fire truck was not equipped with a transponder, which is not required at LaGuardia, and the proximity of other vehicles on the taxiway may have masked its position from air traffic control radar.

What happened in the final seconds

Survivor Jack Cabot described the moments before impact as “crazy 12 seconds” — the plane made a hard stop, passengers braced, then the collision threw people forward. The cockpit was destroyed instantly, killing both pilots and leaving the cabin crew incapacitated or unable to direct evacuation.

Passengers opened emergency exits themselves and climbed onto the wing. Some helped others down. Cabot told reporters that people were “sharing information” about which exits worked and where to go — a spontaneous coordination that likely prevented additional injuries.

The NTSB is analyzing the cockpit voice recorder to determine the exact timeline of the fire truck receiving clearance to cross the runway and whether a stop command was issued before impact. The truck was responding to a United Airlines Boeing 737 that had aborted takeoff on the same runway minutes earlier — a separate incident that triggered the emergency response.

LaGuardia’s runway alert system, designed to warn controllers when a vehicle or aircraft enters an active runway without clearance, did not activate. The fire truck lacked a transponder, and the system relies on radar returns to detect incursions. NTSB investigators are examining whether the truck’s position was obscured by other ground vehicles or whether the system’s sensitivity settings failed to flag the intrusion.

How runway safety systems work — and why this one failed

LaGuardia uses the FAA’s Airport Surface Detection Equipment, Model X (ASDE-X), which combines radar and transponder data to track aircraft and vehicles on the ground. When something enters an active runway without clearance, the system alerts air traffic control with a visual and audio warning.

The fire truck in this collision did not carry a transponder. FAA regulations do not require ground vehicles at Part 139 airports to be equipped with them, though some airports have voluntarily installed transponders on emergency vehicles. Without a transponder, ASDE-X relies on radar returns — and the truck’s position may have been masked by other vehicles or the system’s sensitivity settings.

The NTSB will examine whether the truck received clearance to cross Runway 4 and whether controllers issued a stop command before the collision. The cockpit voice recorder will show whether the pilots received any warning from the tower.

What to do if you have a LaGuardia booking

Runway 4 remains closed until March 27 at 7 a.m., reducing LaGuardia’s capacity by roughly 40 percent — expect delays and cancellations through the weekend.

• Check your flight status now: Use your airline’s app or website. Delta, United, and Air Canada are proactively canceling flights and offering rebooking or refunds.
• Rebook to JFK or Newark if available: Both airports are absorbing diverted traffic. If your airline offers a free change, take it — LaGuardia delays will cascade through the week.
• Request a refund if your flight is canceled: DOT rules require airlines to refund canceled flights, even if the cause is outside their control. Do not accept a voucher unless you prefer it.
• Monitor the NTSB preliminary report: Expected within 10–14 days, it will clarify whether additional safety measures will affect future operations at LaGuardia or other high-traffic airports.

Watch: If the NTSB blames the runway incursion on fire truck operations or ATC procedures, the FAA will likely mandate transponder upgrades for ground vehicles at Part 139 airports — a change that could reduce similar risks at busy runways nationwide.