An investigation is under way after two pilots were killed when an Air Canada Express aircraft collided with a firefighting vehicle at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
The crash involved a plane carrying 72 passengers and four crew members. Officials said the aircraft was travelling at around 24mph (39km/h) at the time of the collision.
Forty-one people on board, along with two officers in the ground vehicle, were taken to hospital. Authorities later confirmed that 32 of those injured have since been discharged.
Kathryn Garcia, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) would conduct a full investigation into the incident.
“Sadly, the two pilots are confirmed deceased,” she said, adding that investigators would examine “exactly what went on during the crash”.
The collision happened at about 23:38 local time. In response, LaGuardia Airport was closed until 14:00 local time (18:00 GMT), while the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a ground stop for all departing flights.
Early FAA notices described the situation as an emergency and warned that the disruption could be extended, though no further details were initially provided.
Social media footage showed emergency crews evacuating passengers and carrying out rescue operations on the runway.
The New York City Police Department urged the public to avoid the area and expect delays, while the fire department warned of road closures and wider disruption.
According to the Port Authority, the fire vehicle involved had been responding to a separate incident involving a United Airlines aircraft at the time of the crash.
Investigators are expected to examine runway operations, communication between ground crews and pilots, and the sequence of events leading up to the collision.
