Mar 26, 2026, 4:29 PM GMT
Small memorial goes up for pilot killed
A small memorial for Air Canada Jazz pilot Antoine Forest, who died when his plane collided with an emergency vehicle at New York's LaGuardia Airport, has gone up in Montreal.
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LaGuardia plane crash: Runway reopens after mangled aircraft, truck removed
Last updated: Thursday, March 26, 2026 9:34PM GMT
NEW YORK (WABC) -- A regional Air Canada jet collided with a Port Authority airport vehicle at LaGuardia Airport in New York City late Sunday, an on-the-ground crash that demolished the front of the airplane, killed two pilots, injured dozens of passengers and prompted the airport to shut down.
The fire truck was crossing the tarmac just before midnight after being given permission to check on another plane reporting an odor onboard. Before the collision, an air traffic controller can be heard on airport communications frantically telling the fire truck to stop.
About 40 passengers and crew members on the regional jet from Montreal, and two people from the fire truck, were taken to hospitals, some with serious injuries.
The National Transportation Safety Board is working to determine which of the airport's many layers of safety precautions failed, allowing the fire truck onto the runway.
Among the areas being explored are whether the common practice of having two controllers on duty overnight is sufficient, why the runway warning system failed to alert the possibility of a crash, who was coordinating air and ground traffic, and whether the fire truck heard the controller's last-second pleas to stop.
(ABC News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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Here's how the news is developing.
Mar 26, 2026, 2:39 PM GMT
Air Canada CEO apologizes for his inability to speak French after plane crash
The chief executive of Air Canada is apologizing for not being able to express himself adequately in French in a video message of condolence he released after the deadly plane crash in New York on Sunday.
Michael Rousseau has been criticized for the four-minute video posted online that only included two French words - "bonjour" and "merci."
One of the two pilots killed in the crash at LaGuardia Airport was a French-speaking Quebecer.
Canada's largest airline is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, where French is the primary language.
Rousseau has been criticized for not speaking French previously.
He delivered his condolence video message in English, with French subtitles.
Mar 26, 2026, 4:20 PM GMT
Runway reopens at LGA after deadly plane collision
The runway is back open at LaGuardia after the plane and fire truck were removed on Wednesday. Port Authority said the runway was repaired, inspected and meets FAA regulations.
The full statement from Port Authority says:
"As of 9:58am, Runway 4/22 has reopened at LaGuardia Airport. Since the removal of the plane and truck late Wednesday, the runway and associated infrastructure has been repaired, inspected, and confirmed to meet FAA regulations for safe operation.
"The reopening of Runway 4/22 will help restore full operational capacity at LaGuardia, though travelers are still encouraged to check with their airline for flight status.
"The Port Authority remains fully engaged with the ongoing NTSB investigation."
Mar 26, 2026, 2:42 PM GMT
1 of 2 police officers involved in LGA crash set to be interviewed by investigators
Investigators on Thursday will conduct interviews with at least one of the two police officers that was in grave danger inside the Port Authority firetruck that collided with the Air Canada plane at LaGuardia Airport.
Meantime, questions over staffing and safety systems at LGA intensify. NTSB has completed their examination of the wreckage following the deadly crash on site, and has turned over the jet to Air Canada.
Crews worked through the night to remove the wreckage of the jet and the Port Authority firetruck that collided on Sunday night.
The firetruck had been cleared to cross the runway just seconds before the collision by an air traffic controller.
The bodies of the pilots killed in the crash were scheduled to be flown home in a dignified transfer on an Air Canada plane departing from Newark Liberty Airport Wednesday night.
