An Air Canada Express regional jet collided with a ground vehicle after landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Sunday evening, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24. The New York Police Department has confirmed the collision, which caused the airport to be closed.
US broadcasters CNN and NBC reported that the plane’s pilot and co-pilot were killed in the crash involving a fire truck driven by police officers. According to the outlet, dozens of people were injured, including a sergeant and an officer who suffered broken arms and legs, but were in stable condition at a local hospital.
Officials have not yet confirmed the number of casualties.
The US Federal Aviation Administration said the airport was expected to remain closed until 2 p.m. Eastern Time (18:00 GMT) on Monday. Meanwhile, LaGuardia’s website shows arriving planes diverted to other airports, while others have reportedly returned to their departure point.
on the way from montreal
According to Flightradar24, the CRJ-900 plane, which was coming from Montreal, Canada, hit the vehicle at a speed of about 39 kilometers (24 miles) per hour.
Operated by Air Canada’s regional partner Jazz, its aircraft of this type can seat up to 76 passengers, according to the airline’s website. A statement from the airline said there were 72 passengers and four crew members on board.
Social media footage from the scene showed severe damage to the front section of the plane, which appeared to be tilted upwards.
New York City’s Emergency Notification System said cancellations, road closures, traffic delays and emergency personnel could be expected in the area around the airport.
According to New York officials, LaGuardia is a major airport and served more than 30 million passengers last year.
Edited by: Elisabeth Schumacher