The pilot and copilot of an Air Canada Express regional jet have been killed after the plane collided with a fire truck while landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.

Authorities said 39 passengers and crew members were taken to area hospitals, some with serious injuries. Most have since been released from treatment.

The collision happened on Sunday, local time, and caused the airport to close, authorities and US media said.

The fire truck had been manned by police officers, the news channel, citing sources, said. 

A plane wreck with flashing emergency lights around it

The regional Air Canada jet collided with a vehicle at LaGuardia Airport in New York. (Reuters: Adam Gray)

The CRJ-900 plane, which was coming from Montreal, struck the fire truck at a speed of about 39 kilometres per hour, Flightradar24 said.

Photos from the scene show damage to the nose of the plane as it tilted upward.

In the moments before the crash, an air traffic controller could be heard on a radio transmission giving clearance to a vehicle to cross part of the tarmac, then trying to stop it.

“Stop, Truck 1. Stop,” the transmission says. 

The controller can then be heard frantically diverting an incoming aircraft from landing.

The jet was operated by Jazz Aviation, Air Canada’s regional partner.

A wreckage of a fire truck with people surrounding it

The jet was operated by Jazz Aviation, Air Canada’s regional partner. (Reuters: Adam Gray)

Jazz said the aircraft was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members, based on a preliminary passenger list that remained subject to confirmation.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a ground stop for all planes at the airport until 1:30am New York Time (2:30pm AEST), according to a notice from the regulator.

The wreckage of a fire truck with red lights flashing from emergency cars

Air Canada and the FAA did not immediately respond to requests for comment. (Reuters: Adam Gray)

The FAA notice showed that the reason for the halt at the airport was an emergency, and there was a high probability of an extension, without specifying any details.

LaGuardia’s website showed arriving planes had been diverted to other airports or returned to their point of origin.

The nose of a plane on the ground with several vehicles surrounding it.

The regional Air Canada jet collided with a vehicle at LaGuardia Airport in New York. (AP: Ryan Murphy)

The New York Fire Department said in a statement that it was responding to a reported incident involving a plane and a vehicle on the runway at LaGuardia airport but did not provide further details.

Air Canada said it was aware of the incident but did not provide immediate comment. 

Reuters