Two pilots dead after plane and ground vehicle collide at New York's LaGuardia AirportSkip to contentWatch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessTechnologyHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesHomeNewsUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. 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Forty-one people were taken to hospital, Port Authority chief Kathryn Garcia said. Thirty-two of them were later discharged but others had serious injuries.New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani described it as a "tragic collision", saying the National Transportation Safety Board was investigating Sunday's incident."I am grateful to our first responders, whose swift actions saved lives."The airport was closed overnight and in the morning, reopening at 14:00 local time (18:00 GMT). Massive queues were reported.'Stop, stop, stop': Listen to LaGuardia control tower audio during collisionAt about 23:40 local time on Sunday (03:40 GMT Monday), shortly after Air Canada Flight 8646 had landed from Montreal, it collided with a firefighting vehicle on the tarmac.The fire engine from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey was responding to a United Airlines aircraft that had "reported an issue with odour", Garcia said during a news briefing. Video footage on social media showed the aircraft, which is operated by Air Canada's regional partner Jazz Aviation, coming to a rest with its nose upturned.Eyewitness Leo Medina, 23, told the BBC: "We were literally like 100 meters away. It was like the plane got cut in half."In audio from the air traffic control tower at LaGuardia, a staff member can be heard saying: "'Truck One, stop, stop, stop!" in the seconds before the crash.The aircraft – a CRJ 900 model, carrying 72 passengers and four crew members – suffered significant damage.All on board the plane have been accounted for, Garcia said, while adding that the sergeant and police officer who were inside the firefighting vehicle were in a stable condition in hospital "with no life-threatening injuries". "I visited them both in the hospital, as has the chairman, and they were able to speak and we're notifying their families," said Garcia.At a news briefing later on Monday, Garcia said the firetruck that collided with the plane was carrying two officers, who were taken the hospital. One was set to be released later on Monday and the other would remain overnight for observation, she added.All arrivals and departures from the airport were cancelled or delayed until Monday afternoon.Hundreds of flights were affected, with carriers including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, and Air Canada.As of 08:00 local time at Terminal B, from where Air Canada operates, a board showed every departing flight for Monday morning, bar one, had been cancelled. Confused passengers were seen huddled on benches or sleeping on the floor. Many had small children with them.Some people were on their phones trying to sort out their travel plans. Others were waiting in the hope the airport opens again.As LaGuardia reopened at 14:00 local time, airport officials warned that "travellers should expect residual delays and cancellations" and also should "check with their carrier before departing for the airport".There were immediately massive queues of people waiting to get through security. The flight chaos has been exacerbated by a shortage of TSA (Transportation Security Administration) agents, which has been caused by a partial government shutdown.ReutersGet in touch.Aviation accidents and incidentsUnited StatesRelatedHow the deadly LaGuardia Airport crash unfoldedColombian military plane with 125 people crashes'Like the plane got cut in half': LaGuardia crash that killed two pilots now under investigationMore from the BBC19 mins agoUS Senate confirms Markwayne Mullin as homeland security chiefThe US senator will now oversee the embattled department after a series of immigration enforcement blunders.19 mins ago4 hrs agoJury orders Cosby to pay $19m to ex-waitress after finding he abused her in 1972Donna Motsinger alleged Cosby gave her wine and a pill that left her incapacitated after picking her up in a limousine in 1972. 4 hrs ago5 hrs agoICE agents deploy to major US airports as security queues stretch for hoursHundreds of ICE agents have been deployed to 14 airports, in cities including New York, Atlanta and Houston.5 hrs ago5 hrs agoWhat we know about the LaGuardia Airport crashTwo pilots die after a passenger plane collided with a fire truck at New York's LaGuardia Airport.5 hrs ago8 hrs agoTrump says 'good' talks ongoing with Iran - but offers few detailsAn early morning post from Trump soothed panicked markets, but the extent of any talks remains unclear.8 hrs agoBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessTechnologyHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesWeatherBBC ShopBritBoxBBC in other languagesThe BBC is in multiple languagesRead the BBC In your own languageOduu Afaan OromootiinAmharic ዜና በአማርኛArabic عربيAzeri AZƏRBAYCANBangla বাংলাBurmese မြန်မာChinese 中文网Dari دریFrench AFRIQUEHausa HAUSAHindi हिन्दीGaelic NAIDHEACHDANGujarati ગુજરાતીમાં સમાચારIgbo AKỤKỌ N’IGBOIndonesian INDONESIAJapanese 日本語Kinyarwanda GAHUZAKirundi KIRUNDIKorean 한국어Kyrgyz КыргызMarathi मराठीNepali नेपालीNoticias para hispanoparlantesPashto پښتوPersian فارسیPidginPolish PO POLSKUPortuguese BRASILPunjabi ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਖ਼ਬਰਾਂRussian НА РУССКОМSerbian NA SRPSKOMSinhala සිංහලSomali SOMALISwahili HABARI KWA KISWAHILITamil தமிழில் செய்திகள்Telugu తెలుగు వార్తలుThai ข่าวภาษาไทยTigrinya ዜና ብትግርኛTurkish TÜRKÇEUkrainian УКРАЇНСЬКAUrdu اردوUzbek O'ZBEKVietnamese TIẾNG VIỆTWelsh NEWYDDIONYoruba ÌRÒYÌN NÍ YORÙBÁFollow BBC on:Terms of UseSubscription TermsAbout the BBCPrivacy PolicyCookiesAccessibility HelpContact the BBCAdvertise with usDo not share or sell my infoBBC.com Help & FAQsContent IndexSet Preferred SourceCopyright 2026 BBC. 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The collision at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Sunday evening resulted in the tragic deaths of two pilots and prompted a widespread disruption to air travel. An Air Canada flight, en route from Montreal, impacted a Port Authority of New York and New Jersey firefighting vehicle responding to a reported odour issue involving a United Airlines aircraft. This incident, occurring at approximately 23:40 local time, involved a CRJ 900 model aircraft carrying 72 passengers and four crew members, sustaining substantial damage with the nose of the plane upturned. Immediately following the crash, authorities initiated a full account of all passengers and crew, and confirmed the stable condition of the two firefighters involved from the Port Authority who were transported to local hospitals.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was promptly engaged to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash. Initial audio captured from the LaGuardia air traffic control tower reveals a clear instruction to "stop, stop, stop!" directed at the first responder vehicle, highlighting a critical moment of communication. Forty-one individuals were subsequently transported to local hospitals, with thirty-two later discharged, though several sustained serious injuries. Mayor Zohran Mamdani underscored the event as a “tragic collision,” emphasizing the swift actions of first responders in mitigating potential further harm.

The airport was swiftly closed to all arrivals and departures, causing massive queues and widespread flight cancellations affecting several major airlines including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, and Air Canada. Operational delays were further compounded by existing staffing shortages within the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), exacerbated by a partial government shutdown, contributing to extended security lines and travel disruptions. Witness accounts, like that of Leo Medina, describe the event as “like the plane got cut in half,” emphasizing the force of the impact. The sergeant and police officer from the fire truck also reported no life-threatening injuries. As of Monday afternoon, LaGuardia reopened at 14:00 local time, although officials cautioned that residual delays and cancellations were anticipated, advising travelers to confirm flight status with their respective carriers.