Two pilots killed after airplane crashes into vehicle at New York airport

An Air Canada Express flight collided with a ground vehicle while landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, killing two pilots on board.

Authorities in New York confirmed the late-night incident, which disrupted operations at one of the city’s busiest airports and triggered an immediate emergency response.

The New York police told AFP that the Air Canada plane “collided with a port authority vehicle”. Meanwhile, the fire department said it had “responded to a reported incident involving a plane and vehicle” on runway four.

Air Canada, in a press release, indicated that flight 8646 was “carrying 72 passengers and 4 crew members, although this is subject to confirmation”.

The airline added that the collision occurred at 11:47pm local time (03:47 GMT).

According to flight tracking website Flightradar24, the CRJ-900 aircraft struck the vehicle at an estimated speed of about 24mph (39km/h).

The flight was operated by Jazz Aviation, a regional partner of Air Canada.

The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) responded by issuing a ground stop for all departures to LaGuardia.

The notice cited an aircraft emergency and stated that the closure would remain in effect until at least 05:30 GMT, with a “high” probability of an extension. In a separate advisory to airmen, the FAA suggested the shutdown could last until 18:00 GMT.

The incident caused widespread disruption, with several flights diverted to alternate airports or sent back to their points of origin.

Emergency crews were deployed across the airfield as officials worked to assess the situation and secure the runway.

Unverified videos circulating on social media appeared to show visible damage to the aircraft’s nose, with the front section tilted upward. However,

Reuters reported it could not immediately confirm the authenticity of the footage.

New York’s emergency management authority cautioned the public to “expect cancellations, road closures, traffic delays & emergency personnel” around the airport, located in the borough of Queens.

Officials have yet to release full details on casualties or the extent of injuries, as investigations into the cause of the collision continue.

Source: Aljazeera