The two pilots of an Air Canada Express regional jet have been killed when their aircraft collided with a fire truck at New York’s La Guardia airport while responding to an emergency.
The incident happened at just after 10pm local time (2am UK time) after the flight had arrived from Montreal carrying 72 passengers and four crew.
The fire truck was responding to a separate incident and according to reports was following ATC instruction when the impact occurred with the aircraft still travelling at around 100mph.
ATC audio from the incident shows that La Guardia tower gave permission to “Truck One” to cross runway 4 at Delta, which is an intersection between the runway and a taxiway. The controller can then be heard telling truck one to stop repeatedly but either the aircraft struck the vehicle before it had a chance react or the command wasn’t heard.
The New York Port Authority, which runs the airport, confirmed that 41 passengers and crew had been taken to hospital but that the pilots were both confirmed as deceased at the scene.
Spokesperson Kathryn Garcia also confirmed that the occupants of the truck that was hit had also been taken to hospital but were in a stable condition.
A flight attendant was also found alive still strapped into her seat but outside of the aircraft, she has serious but not life-threatening injuries.
The flight was being operated on behalf of Air Canada by Jazz Aviation.
“Today is an incredibly difficult day for our airline, our employees, and most importantly, the families and loved ones of those affected by the accident involving flight 8646,” said Doug Clarke, President, Jazz Aviation LP. “We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of our two pilots and our unwavering support to those who have been injured.”
“As the investigation unfolds, we are fully committed to cooperating with the relevant authorities to determine what happened. We will share updates as soon as verified information becomes available.
We will continue to provide our full support in the days and weeks ahead.”
The Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) released a statement following the incident with ALPA president Capt. Jason Ambrosi saying: “These pilots dedicated their careers to the safe transport of passengers, and we are all thinking of their families, loved ones, and colleagues at Jazz Aviation during this devastating time,”
He added: “ALPA’s accident investigation team is on scene assisting the National Transportation Safety Board with its work, and our Critical Incident Response Program is working to support ALPA members and the families involved.”
La Guardia Airport is one of three major airports in the New York area and is one of the busiest in the US handling around 32 million passengers per year.
The airport remains closed and the NTSB has confirmed it is investigating the crash.