A flight attendant is being hailed as a miracle survivor from the crash of an Air Canada Express regional jet at LaGuardia Airport late on Sunday night, after first responders found her still strapped in her jumpseat on the tarmac outside the airplane.
The flight attendant had been thrown out of the wreckage of the Bombardier CRJ-900 after it collided with an airport fire truck, obliterating the cockpit and the first couple of rows of the aircraft.
New daylight images show the full extent of damage to Air Canada Express flight AC8646 and the firefighting vehicle.
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) March 23, 2026
Some of the latest pictures from the scene show debris hanging from the nose of the plane, while the emergency vehicle involved in the crash lies a few metres… pic.twitter.com/Y8Ywfs7d2z
Although the flight attendant has been badly injured, sources close to the investigation say she is expected to survive the crash. Tragically, the two pilots were killed in the accident, which also left scores of other people injured.
The accident occurred at approximately 11:47 pm on Sunday, March 23, when Air Canada Express flight AC-8646 was coming into land on Runway 4 at LaGuardia at the end of an otherwise uneventful flight from Montreal.
At that exact time, an airport fire truck had been cleared to cross Runway 4 as it was responding to a seperate emergency involving a United Airlines plane that had reported fumes in the flight deck.
Only one air traffic controller was in the tower at the time of the accident and was managing all departures, arrivals, and ground movements, as well as coordinating the emergency response to the United Airlines airplane.
Recordings of air traffic control chatter at the time suggest that the controller realized his mistake at the very last second, repeatedly urging the fire truck to “STOP, STOP, STOP,” before it was struck by the Air Canada Express jet.
There were 72 passengers and crew on board the regional jet, which was operated on behalf of Air Canada by Jazz Aviation. At the very front of the aircraft were the two pilots and one flight attendant in a rear facing jumpseat.
41 passengers and crew, as well as several airport fire officers, remain in hospital, while 32 people have so far been discharged.
LaGuardia Airport remains closed as the investigation gets underway. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is sending a go-team to the airport, while Canada’s Transportation Safety Board (TSB) is also sending investigators to the scene.
In a statement, Air Canada said: “The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey confirmed that the Captain and the First Officer were killed in this accident. We are deeply saddened by the loss of two Jazz employees, and our deepest condolences go out to the entire Jazz community and their families.”
“Air Canada and Jazz Aviation teams are preparing to make their way to the site, and details will be provided through additional statements as soon as possible,” the statement added.
“Today is an incredibly difficult day for our airline, our employees, and most importantly, the families and loved ones of those affected by the accident involving flight 8646,” commented Doug Clarke, Jazz Aviation’s president.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of our two pilots and our unwavering support to those who have been injured.”
