Two people were dead at LaGuardia Airport in New York after a late-night collision between a Port Authority airport vehicle and an Air Canada regional plane, a crash that closed the airport early on Monday, according to police and officials who spoke with ABC News.
The pilot and the co-pilot of the plane were believed to have been killed, according to multiple officials briefed on the situation. The New York City Chief Medical Examiner’s Office was on-scene early on Monday, and officials were awaiting confirmation of the identities of those who were killed.
Another 13 people were hospitalized with injuries, including 11 passengers and two first responders, officials briefed on the situation told ABC News.
An Air Canada Jet sits on the runway at LaGuardia Airport, Monday, March 23, 2026, after colliding with a Port Authority vehicle in New York.
Ryan Murphy/AP
A notice has been issued by the FAA, announcing that airport operations will remain suspended until 2 pm Monday.
The regional jet involved in the collision had traveled from Montreal to New York, according to Flightradar24, a flight information tracker.
The cause of the crash was not immediately clear. Preliminary information appeared to show that the flight had landed on Runway 4 and was rolling down the runway when the collision occurred.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team to investigate the crash. Chair Jennifer Homendy will serve as the on-scene spokesperson, accompanied by member John DeLeeuw, according to the NTSB.
An Air Canada Express CRJ-900 sits on the runway after colliding with a Port Authority fire truck at LaGuardia Airport in New York, on March 23, 2026.
Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
The ground vehicle had requested permission and had been cleared by the air traffic controller to cross Runway 4 at taxiway Delta, according to audio recordings. Shortly after that permission was granted, an air traffic controller was heard telling the vehicle to stop several times right before the collision.
At least 18 flights have been diverted from LGA following the airport’s closure, with most being sent to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport or to New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport.
A union official had earlier told ABC News that there were two injured individuals who had been injured in the crash, saying they were Port Authority police officers assigned to firefighter duty at LaGuardia Airport.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
