Two people were killed at LaGuardia Airport in New York after a late-night collision between a Port Authority airport vehicle and an Air Canada regional jet, officials told ABC News. The pilot and co-pilot of the aircraft were believed to have been killed, according to multiple officials briefed on the situation; the New York City Chief Medical Examiner’s Office was on scene Monday as officials awaited confirmation of identities.
Thirteen others were hospitalized with injuries — 11 passengers and two first responders, officials briefed on the situation said. A union official earlier told ABC News that two injured individuals were Port Authority police officers assigned to firefighter duty at LaGuardia.
The regional jet had flown from Montreal to New York, according to Flightradar24. Preliminary information indicated the flight had landed on Runway 4 and was rolling down the runway when the collision occurred. Audio recordings show the ground vehicle had requested permission and had been cleared by air traffic control to cross Runway 4 at taxiway Delta; shortly after that clearance, an air traffic controller was heard telling the vehicle to stop several times right before the collision.
The FAA issued a notice that airport operations would remain suspended until 2 p.m. Monday. At least 18 flights were diverted from LaGuardia, mostly to John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team to investigate; Chair Jennifer Homendy will serve as the on-scene spokesperson, accompanied by member John DeLeeuw. This is a developing story.