By Hotgist9ja News Desk | Breaking News | International
It was supposed to be a routine landing. Flight AC8646 from Montreal had made the journey dozens of times before. The Bombardier CRJ-900, operated by Jazz Aviation on behalf of Air Canada Express, touched down on Runway 4 at New York's LaGuardia Airport just before midnight on Sunday. Everything appeared normal.
Then came the collision that nobody saw coming — and that has shaken the global aviation industry to its core.
A Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle — a heavy emergency truck that had been cleared to cross the runway — was in the path of the still-moving aircraft. At approximately 11:38 p.m. Eastern Time, the plane struck the truck. The impact was violent. The cockpit of the aircraft sustained significant damage. The firefighting vehicle was thrown on its side.
By Monday morning, two people were dead. The pilot and co-pilot of Flight AC8646 — professionals who had guided 72 passengers safely across the skies from Montreal — did not survive the collision that ended on the ground.
LaGuardia Airport — one of the busiest airports in the United States, serving over 30 million passengers in 2025 — was shut down completely. Hundreds of flights were diverted. Thousands of travellers were stranded. And the National Transportation Safety Board launched an immediate investigation into one of the most shocking aviation incidents in recent American history.
What Happened — The Full Timeline
Air Canada Express Flight 8646 departed Montreal-Trudeau International Airport at approximately 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday evening. The flight — operated by Jazz Aviation on a Bombardier CRJ-900 regional jet registered C-GNJZ — carried 72 passengers and four crew members on what should have been a routine one-hour journey to New York.
The aircraft landed normally on Runway 4 at LaGuardia and began decelerating. According to flight tracking data from Flightradar24, the plane was travelling at approximately 24 miles per hour — a normal post-landing speed — when the collision occurred near Taxiway E.
The Port Authority vehicle involved was an Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting truck — the kind of heavy emergency vehicle specifically designed to respond to aviation emergencies. According to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the vehicle had been responding to a separate incident at the airport when it was cleared by air traffic control to cross Runway 4.
Air traffic control audio captured by LiveATC.net tells a chilling story of what happened in those final seconds. A controller had cleared "Truck 1" to cross the runway — but as the aircraft approached, the controller suddenly realised what was about to happen.
"Truck 1, stop, stop, stop!" the controller is heard shouting urgently — but it was too late. Seconds later, addressing the aircraft: "JAZZ 646, I see you collided with the vehicle. Just hold position. I know you can't move. Vehicles are responding to you now."
Those words — calm, professional, devastating — capture the moment aviation history was made at LaGuardia in the worst possible way.
The Victims — Pilot And Co-Pilot Killed
By Monday morning, two sources familiar with the investigation had confirmed to NBC News the detail that the entire aviation world had feared: the pilot and co-pilot of Flight AC8646 were killed in the collision.
The New York City Medical Examiner's office is now handling their deaths. Their names have not yet been officially released, pending notification of next of kin.
Two Port Authority Police officers who were manning the firefighting vehicle also sustained injuries — a sergeant and an officer both suffered broken limbs and were stabilised at a hospital. More than a dozen passengers on board the aircraft suffered varying degrees of injuries, according to preliminary information from a senior official with knowledge of the investigation.
Jazz Aviation confirmed that its aircraft was involved and identified the flight as carrying 72 passengers and four crew members from Montreal, noting that the figures were preliminary and subject to confirmation.
The Airport Shuts Down — Chaos Across New York's Skies
The Federal Aviation Administration issued an immediate ground stop at LaGuardia following the collision, halting all arrivals and departures. The airport — located in the Queens borough of New York City — was expected to remain closed until at least 2:00 p.m. Monday Eastern Time, the FAA said.
The impact on air travel was immediate and severe. Eighteen flights were diverted to other airports in the New York area — primarily Newark Liberty International and John F. Kennedy International. Hundreds more flights were cancelled or delayed as the ripple effects spread through the entire North-eastern United States aviation network.
New York City's emergency notification system warned residents to expect cancellations, road closures, traffic delays and a heavy emergency personnel presence near the airport. Perimeter roads in Queens were blocked by emergency vehicles, creating additional chaos for travellers trying to reach or leave the area.
LaGuardia serves over 30 million passengers annually — making the timing of the shutdown, on a Monday morning at the start of a working week, particularly disruptive for business travellers, commuters and families.
The Investigation — NTSB Launches Go Team
The National Transportation Safety Board — the independent US federal agency responsible for investigating aviation accidents — announced within hours that it was launching a "go team" to investigate the collision. The team was expected to arrive at LaGuardia on Monday.
The FAA is conducting a parallel investigation. Both agencies face the same central question — the question that CBS News senior transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave described as "the big question": what was the communication breakdown that allowed the vehicle to be on the runway as the plane was landing?
Air traffic control audio suggests the vehicle had been cleared to cross Runway 4 — but the precise sequence of events that led to both the aircraft and the truck occupying the same piece of tarmac at the same time is what investigators must now establish with precision.
Early weather reports noted light rain and fog at LaGuardia on Sunday evening — conditions that may have reduced visibility on the runway and contributed to the sequence of events. This will be one of many factors investigators examine.
Aviation Safety Under The Spotlight — Again
The LaGuardia collision comes at a moment when aviation safety in the United States is already under intense scrutiny. Bloomberg described Sunday's incident as "the latest in a series of incidents that have put aviation safety in the spotlight" — a reference to a string of near-misses, emergency landings and close calls that have kept the FAA and NTSB under sustained public pressure in recent months.
Earlier on Sunday evening, in an unrelated incident at LaGuardia, pilots of United Airlines Flight 2384 had aborted a takeoff when an anti-ice warning light came on. They reported an odour in the cabin and flight attendants feeling ill, and declared an emergency when no gates were immediately available. That incident was resolved without casualties — but it underscored the pressure that New York's airports were already under before the Air Canada collision occurred hours later.
The FAA has been operating under staffing pressures linked to ongoing federal budget disputes — a context that aviation safety advocates say has stretched air traffic control capacity at major hubs. Whether those pressures played any role in Sunday night's collision will be a central focus of the investigation.
Air Canada And Jazz Aviation Respond
Jazz Aviation, which operates the Air Canada Express brand on regional routes, confirmed in a statement that Flight 8646 from Montreal was involved in the incident. The airline said the aircraft was a CRJ-900 and provided preliminary passenger numbers, noting they were subject to confirmation.
Air Canada referred media inquiries to Jazz's statement and confirmed it was aware of the incident. Neither airline had released a full statement on the pilot and co-pilot fatalities as of early Monday morning.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey — which operates LaGuardia — confirmed that its firefighting vehicle had been responding to a separate incident when it was struck, and that emergency response protocols were immediately activated following the collision.
Key Facts At A Glance
| Detail | Fact |
| Flight number | Air Canada Express Flight AC8646 |
| Route | Montreal-Trudeau to LaGuardia, New York |
| Aircraft | Bombardier CRJ-900 — registration C-GNJZ |
| Operator | Jazz Aviation (operating as Air Canada Express) |
| Passengers and crew | 72 passengers, 4 crew members (preliminary) |
| Time of collision | Approximately 11:38-11:47 p.m. ET Sunday |
| Location | Runway 4, near Taxiway E, LaGuardia Airport |
| Speed at impact | Approximately 24-30 mph |
| Deaths | 2 — pilot and co-pilot of Flight AC8646 |
| Injuries | 2 Port Authority officers (broken limbs) + 12+ passengers |
| Airport status | Closed — expected to reopen 2 p.m. Monday ET |
| Investigating agencies | NTSB and FAA |
What The Experts Are Saying
"The central question here is runway incursion — how did a vehicle end up on an active runway as an aircraft was landing? Air traffic control audio suggests the vehicle was cleared to cross, which means this may be a communication and coordination failure rather than a rogue vehicle. The NTSB investigation will examine every second of the ATC communication, the vehicle's positioning, the aircraft's approach data and the weather conditions. This is exactly the kind of incident that changes aviation safety protocols permanently."
— Aviation Safety Analyst
"The death of the pilot and co-pilot in a ground collision — not a mid-air accident, not a crash on approach, but on a runway after a successful landing — is particularly shocking. These are professionals who did everything right. They landed the aircraft safely. The failure happened on the ground. That is the tragedy that investigators must now explain."
— Aviation Safety Expert, commenting for CBS News
How Nigerians And The World Are Reacting
"The pilot and co-pilot landed the plane safely. 72 passengers survived. Then they died on the runway. This is devastating. Rest in peace to both of them."
— Twitter/X user
"The air traffic controller said stop stop stop — and it was already too late. That recording will haunt everyone involved in this investigation for years."
— Twitter/X user
"LaGuardia shut down on a Monday morning. This is going to cause chaos across the entire east coast air travel network for the whole day."
— Facebook user, New York
"As a Nigerian who travels through LaGuardia regularly — this is absolutely terrifying. Our prayers are with the families of the pilot and co-pilot."
— Instagram comment
In Pidgin — As Naija People Dey See Am
This one pain different.
The pilot and co-pilot of Air Canada Flight 8646 land the plane safely from Montreal. 72 passengers dey inside. Everything go well. The plane touch down. E dey slow down on the runway. Mission accomplished.
Then a fire truck cross the runway. Collision happen. And the two people wey successfully fly 72 passengers from Canada to New York — dem no survive the landing.
The air traffic controller voice dey on tape. "Truck 1, stop, stop, stop!" E shout. Too late. Then — "JAZZ 646, I see you collided with the vehicle. Just hold position." Those words go follow everybody involved in this case for the rest of their lives.
LaGuardia don shut down. Hundreds of flights diverted. Thousands of travellers stranded. NTSB don launch investigation. The world dey ask — how did this happen? How did a truck end up on a runway as a plane was landing?
We go continue to follow this story as investigation unfolds. Our deepest condolences to the families of the pilot and co-pilot — two professionals wey do their job perfectly, and pay the highest price for a failure that was not their own. 🦅🇳🇬
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Sources: CNN, NBC News, BBC, Al Jazeera, Bloomberg, CBS News, Flightradar24, FAA, NTSB, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey