Air Canada Crash Video Shows Plane Striking Fire Truck at 104 mph
A horrific video captures the moment that Air Canada Express CRJ-900 plane crashed into a Port Authority fire truck on a runway at LaGuardia Airport in New York on March 22.
The plane was traveling at 104 miles per hour when it struck the fire truck.
The U.S. Secretary of Transportation confirmed that the crash occurred at 11:45 p.m. ET between the plane, which was coming from Montreal, and the fire truck. Over a dozen people were injured, the two pilots died, and two Port Authority firefighters were seriously injured, he wrote.
The video shows the truck turning directly into the path of the landing plane. Air traffic control audio captured the final frantic moments and immediate aftermath of the crash. Photos showed that the front end of the plane was demolished.
Although LaGuardia Airport closed after the collision, the airport reopened on the afternoon of March 23, according to CNN. On March 23, CNN reported that 41 people were injured overall, with 32 being released from the hospital by the day after the crash.
Federal Authorities Are Investigating the Air Canada Collision
(Theodore Parisienne/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
The National Transportation Safety Board announced that it is commencing an investigation into the collision.
"The NTSB is launching a go team to investigate the March 22 Jazz Aviation, Air Canada Express Flight 8646, CRJ900, airplane that collided with a fire truck on Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport in New York NY," the NTSB wrote.
Here’s CCTV footage capturing the exact moment Air Canada Express Flight AC8646, a Bombardier CRJ-900, collided with a Port Authority fire truck at LaGuardia Airport last night. pic.twitter.com/qxGMZzKXPD
— Turbine Traveller (@Turbinetraveler) March 23, 2026
Air Canada President and CEO Michael Rousseau said in a video statement, "Today is a very somber day at Air Canada."
He said the aircraft was operated by Jazz Aviation, which operates flights on behalf of Air Canada. He said the airline's efforts are focused on the passengers, crew, and families. "We know there are many questions," he said, but he added that all of the answers are not yet clear.
According to Rousseau, the plane was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members. "We now know that the captain and the first officer were killed," said Rousseau. "We are working with the authorities to confirm the number of injuries."
The airport wrote on X, "LaGuardia Airport is on track to reopen at 2 p.m. As operations resume, travelers should expect residual delays and cancellations. Travelers are strongly encouraged to check with their carrier before departing for the airport."
An Expert Says the Collision Could Have Been Even Worse
As undeniably tragic as the deaths and injuries are, one expert believes it could have been worse.
“This could have been much, much worse,” CNN safety analyst David Soucie told that network.
“Because that aircraft hit directly in the middle of the fire truck, the fire truck was moved forward, and the aircraft was damaged in the nose," he told CNN.
If the truck was 40 feet forward or back, “it would have struck against the wing, the fuel cells, the engines and would have created a huge fire and … many, many fatalities,” Soucie said to CNN. “This could have been much, much worse."