An Air Canada flight collided with a Port Authority vehicle after landing at LaGuardia Airport, according to authorities, leaving the aircraft with a crushed nose pointing upward and the rear section dropped down to the runway as officials worked to confirm details of the accident.
“At approximately 11.40pm on Sunday, a Jazz Aviation flight operating on behalf of Air Canada was involved in an incident on Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport in which the aircraft struck a Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle that was responding to a separate incident,” the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said in a statement.
The statement noted the Port Authority Police Department and the agency’s chairman and executive director are the scene on the runway of the airport, which is closed while the accident is investigated.
Jazz Aviation LP, operating as Air Canada Express, issued a statement confirming the accident. The airline said a preliminary passenger list, which is subject to confirmation, indicates there were 72 passengers and four crew members.
There were 72 people aboard the flight and four crew members, according to an official who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.
Data shows the flight originated at Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, the major airport serving Montreal, according to online flight tracker FlightAware.
A spokesperson for the New York City Fire Department said firefighters responded to reports of a plane that crashed into a vehicle on the runway at 11.38pm. Additional information was not immediately available.
Multiple videos taken by bystanders and posted on social media showed the jet with severe damage to the front of the aircraft. Images show the severely damaged Air Canada plane illuminated by floodlights and emergency vehicles parked nearby on the runway.