Plane Crashes into Firetruck At New York Airport: Both Pilots Dead, 40 Injured
A runway miscommunication at New York’s LaGuardia Airport led to a fatal collision between an Air Canada Express plane and a fire truck, killing both pilots and injuring dozens.
On 22 March at 11:40 pm (local time), an Air Canada Express flight from Montreal to New York’s LaGuardia Airport crashed into an airport fire truck just seconds before landing. The plane, carrying 76 people, had been cleared to land while the truck was also cleared to cross the same runway.
Air Traffic Control realized the danger moments before impact and urgently tried to stop the truck, but it remains unclear if the message was received. The truck had entered the runway only 8–12 seconds before the collision, leaving almost no reaction time. The runway collision alert system also failed due to a technical error.
Both pilots, Antoine Forest and Mackenzie Gunther, died in the crash. Around 40 others were injured, some seriously. Survivors credited the pilots for attempting to slow the aircraft and minimize damage.
The fire truck was responding to another aircraft emergency on the ground. Contributing factors included heavy rain, low visibility, and only two controllers managing multiple tasks.
The airport briefly shut down and reopened on 23 March. Investigations are underway by aviation authorities.
