Air Canada plane crashes with rescue vehicle at New York’s LaGuardia Airport

By Canadian Press on March 23, 2026.

NEW YORK —

Aviation officials say 76 people were on board an Air Canada flight from Montreal to New York when it crashed into a rescue vehicle after landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.

A statement from Jazz Aviation, operating as Air Canada Express, said the crash happened late Sunday, but offered few other details.

It said a preliminary passenger list suggests the aircraft was carrying 72 passengers and 4 crew members at the time.

“Further details will follow as soon as possible,” the statement said.

Online flight tracker Flightradar24 said the plane took off from Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.

The New York Police Department confirmed the plane had crashed into a Port Authority vehicle after landing. It did not immediately offer additional information.

A spokesperson for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees the airport, said the aircraft hit a rescue and firefighting vehicle as it responded to a separate incident.

“The Port Authority Police Department is on scene along with the agency’s Chairman and Executive Director,” the spokesperson said.

“The airport is currently closed to facilitate the response and allow for a thorough investigation.”

Crews with the New York City Fire Department were also called, a spokesperson said.

Associated Press photos from the scene show a jet branded with an Air Canada logo tilted up with its nose in the air.

The photos show the nose destroyed, with wires and flight controls dangling from the fuselage. An aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle is laying on its side.

A web page for the Federal Aviation Administration said LaGuardia was closed Sunday night.