A regional jet operating as Air Canada Express crashed into a Port Authority vehicle on the runway at New York's LaGuardia Airport late on Sunday, killing two pilots and injuring dozens in an incident that could test aviation liability frameworks and raise fresh questions for an already strained insurance market.
The Bombardier CRJ-900, operated by Jazz Aviation on behalf of Air Canada, had just landed from Montreal when it struck a Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle on Runway 4 at approximately 11:47 p.m.
The ARFF vehicle had been responding to a separate report of an odour aboard a United Airlines flight. Flight tracking data indicated the aircraft was traveling at roughly 24 miles per hour at the time of impact.
Earlier that evening, LaGuardia had warned of weather-related flight disruptions, with light rain and fog reported in the area.
Port Authority executive director Kathryn Garcia confirmed at a news briefing that the two pilots were killed. More than 40 passengers, crew members, and ARFF officers were taken to hospital. Two Port Authority police officers suffered broken bones but are expected to recover.
Garcia said 32 of those hospitalised had since been released, though serious injuries remained among others.
Jazz Aviation said the aircraft was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members, though the figure was subject to confirmation.
The airport was closed following the crash and was expected to remain shut until 2 p.m. Monday. The FAA issued a ground stop for all aircraft and said there was an emergency, without elaborating.
Because the Air Canada flight originated in Montreal, legal observers say passenger injury and death claims would likely fall under the Montreal Convention, the international treaty governing carrier liability on cross-border routes.
Revised limits that took effect in December 2024 raised the strict liability threshold for death or bodily injury to 151,880 Special Drawing Rights, roughly US$202,500 per passenger. Claims above that amount are possible but typically require proof of carrier negligence.
The Port Authority's own exposure may also come into focus. A Second Circuit ruling handed down in December 2025 found the agency does not enjoy full sovereign immunity from state-law claims in federal court. Under New York law, the Port Authority consents to tort liability on the same terms as a private corporation, though plaintiffs face a one-year filing window.
Neither Air Canada nor the Port Authority has publicly addressed liability.
The crash arrives at a difficult moment for aviation insurers. Research published by Allianz Commercial in 2024 found that collisions and crash incidents accounted for 63% of all aviation insurance claims by value over the preceding five years, with ground handling incidents at major airports flagged as a growing concern.
A Willis Towers Watson outlook from late 2025 noted that frequent and costly claims had defined the year, while abundant market capacity kept a lid on rate increases that insurers considered overdue. Gallagher's aviation division, in a January 2026 assessment, said it expected continued technical rate increases, particularly for operators with US exposures.
The LaGuardia crash also follows the January 2025 midair collision near Reagan National Airport that killed 67 people. The NTSB's final report on that incident, published in January 2026, pointed to systemic failures in FAA safety oversight and airspace design, and has since prompted an overhaul of separation rules.
A Port Authority spokesperson described the situation at LaGuardia as developing and said the agency "is working closely with our airline partners as well as federal authorities."
