Air Canada flight hits fire truck on runway at LaGuardia Airport
By Karina Tsui, Martin Goillandeau, Lex Harvey, Shimon Prokupecz, CNN
(CNN) — An Air Canada plane collided with a fire truck on a runway at New York’s LaGuardia Airport Sunday, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, injuring at least four people.
Around 11:40 p.m., a Jazz Aviation flight operating on behalf of Air Canada struck a Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle, which was responding to a separate incident, a Port Authority spokesperson said.
“Emergency response protocols were immediately activated,” the spokesperson said. “The airport is currently closed to facilitate the response and allow for a thorough investigation.”
The pilot, the co-pilot and two people inside the truck were injured in the crash, a law enforcement source told CNN.
The Port Authority has not released any information on injuries. Photos and videos from the scene showed severe damage to the nose of the plane.
Jazz confirmed the incident involving Air Canada flight 8646 from Montreal in a statement early Monday. The CRJ-900 aircraft was carrying 72 passengers and 4 crew members, according to a preliminary list, the airline said.
The flight took off from Montreal Trudeau International Airport shortly after 10:30 p.m. ET and arrived at LaGuardia about an hour later, according to the flight tracking site FlightRadar24.
The plane was going about 130 miles per hour just before it hit the fire truck, according to the last data point collected before the collision by Flightradar24.
The New York City Fire Department said it responded to a reported incident involving a plane and vehicle on the airport’s runway at around 11:38 p.m.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop at LaGuardia shortly after the collision due to an “aircraft emergency.” The airport is expected to be closed until 2 p.m. Monday, according to the FAA.
Air traffic control audio recorded from the incident captures the moments leading up to a reported collision between the plane and the vehicle.
In the recording, an air traffic controller grants permission for an operations truck to cross a runway. Seconds later, the controller urgently orders the truck to stop, before saying there has been a collision on the field.
“JAZZ 646, I see you collided with the vehicle. Just hold position. I know you can’t move. Vehicles are responding to you now,” an air traffic controller is heard saying in audio captured by the website LiveATC.net.
The NTSB told CNN it received notification of the incident but couldn’t provide more information.
Videos circulating on social media show emergency vehicles surrounding the aircraft with its cockpit appearing damaged.
A CNN reporter at the scene around 2 a.m. said the runway was filled with emergency vehicles.
Earlier, LaGuardia warned of flight disruptions due to weather conditions, with light rain and fog hitting the area.
CNN has reached out to the FAA.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
The-CNN-Wire
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CNN’s Aaron Cooper and Hanna Park contributed to this report.
