Air Canada Express collision kills two pilots, shuts LaGuardia for 14 hours, delaying thousands

Quick summary

Air Canada Express Flight 8646 collided with a Port Authority fire truck on LaGuardia Airport’s Runway 4 at 23:37 local time on March 22, 2026, killing both pilots and hospitalizing 41 passengers and crew plus two firefighters. The CRJ-900 was traveling at 93–105 mph when it struck the emergency vehicle responding to an aborted takeoff. LaGuardia closed entirely until 2 p.m. ET March 23, with Runway 4 remaining shut until 7 a.m. ET Friday.

Single-runway operations resumed Monday afternoon, causing systemwide delays of 1–3 hours. The NTSB recovered both flight recorders undamaged and is leading the investigation.

A fatal runway collision at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Saturday night killed two pilots and shut down the airport for 14 hours, stranding thousands of travelers and triggering a multi-day operational crisis at one of the nation’s busiest hubs.

Air Canada Express Flight 8646 from Montreal struck a Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle on Runway 4 at 11:37 p.m. local time. The Jazz Aviation-operated CRJ-900 was carrying 72 passengers and four crew when it hit the fire truck at speeds between 93 and 105 mph.

Captain Antoine Forest and First Officer Mackenzie Gunther died in the collision. Forty-one passengers and crew were hospitalized, with 32 released by Monday morning. Two firefighters aboard the emergency vehicle were also injured. All passengers have been accounted for, including an unaccompanied minor who was reunited with family.

The FAA issued an immediate ground stop. LaGuardia reopened at 2 p.m. ET Monday on a single runway, with Runway 4 closed until 7 a.m. ET Friday, March 27. Travelers with bookings through the weekend face elevated delays and cancellations as the airport operates at reduced capacity.

What the investigation has revealed so far

The NTSB dispatched a “Go Team” to LaGuardia within hours and recovered both the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder undamaged. Audio from air traffic control shows the tower cleared the fire truck to cross Runway 4 at taxiway Delta, then issued stop commands before the collision occurred.

The fire truck was responding to an aborted takeoff — a separate incident that preceded the collision. The sequence of events that led to the truck being on an active runway while Flight 8646 was landing remains under investigation.

This is LaGuardia’s first fatal crash in three decades. The last was Avianca Flight 52 in January 1990, when a Boeing 707 ran out of fuel during holding patterns and crashed on approach, killing 73 of 158 aboard. That incident led to stricter FAA fuel reserve and holding pattern rules. The NTSB expects a preliminary report within 2–4 weeks, with a full investigation taking 12–18 months.

How runway incursion protocols work at major US airports

LaGuardia’s air traffic control tower is staffed with 33 certified controllers, below the FAA’s target of 37 for a facility handling 400+ daily operations. Controllers manage runway crossings through a strict clearance protocol: vehicles must receive explicit permission to enter any runway, and pilots must read back all crossing instructions.

The fire truck in this incident had been cleared to cross Runway 4 at taxiway Delta. ATC audio shows stop commands were issued before the collision, but the CRJ-900 was traveling at nearly 100 mph — a speed that makes evasive action impossible within the typical 7–10 second window between visual contact and impact.

The FAA certifies foreign carriers like Air Canada and Jazz Aviation under Part 129 regulations, which require IOSA audits and annual FAA inspections. The NTSB leads all ground incident investigations under 49 USC §1131, with Canadian authorities participating because Jazz Aviation operates the aircraft. The current “Go Team” on-site is verifying ATC procedures, vehicle positioning, and cockpit decision-making in the seconds before impact.

What to do if you have a LaGuardia booking

Single-runway operations through Friday morning mean delays of 1–3 hours are likely for all LaGuardia departures and arrivals.

• Rebook now if traveling March 24–27: Delta, United, American, and JetBlue have waived change fees for LaGuardia bookings through March 24. Use airline apps or contact centers to switch to JFK or Newark — both airports are operating normally.
• Check flight status 4–6 hours before departure: Airlines are updating schedules in real time as Runway 4 remains closed. FlightAware and airline apps show live delay estimates.
• Allow 3+ hours for airport arrival: Security lines are longer than usual due to rebooking volume and compressed flight schedules on the single active runway.
• Monitor the NTSB investigation: If the preliminary report (expected within 2–4 weeks) confirms ATC error, expect enhanced runway incursion protocols at LaGuardia that could reduce short-term delay risks for future travel.

Watch: The FAA’s NOTAM system will announce Runway 4’s reopening status — if the Friday 7 a.m. target holds, full operations resume and delays drop sharply by the weekend.

Questions? Answers.