Heartbreaking audio captures panic seconds before fatal Air Canada crash
Unearthed air traffic control audio reveals the critical moments from Sunday night's Air Canada crash, when a plane collided with a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport in New York.
A Port Authority spokesperson told us that at approximately 11:40 p.m. on Sunday, a Jazz Aviation flight operating on behalf of Air Canada was involved in a crash on Runway 4 at LaGuardia, one of the busiest airports in New York.
The spokesperson said the aircraft struck a Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) vehicle that was responding to a separate incident.
Jazz Aviation LP, which operates as Air Canada Express, confirmed the crash involved flight AC8646 in a statement early Monday morning. It was flying in from Montréal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.
Photos from the scene show the aircraft tipped up and debris hanging from the nose of the plane due to the fatal impact. The fire truck involved in the collision lies on its side a few metres away.
I am on my way to LaGuardia Airport now in response to last night's horrific crash involving Air Canada Express 8646 and a fire truck that killed two pilots.@FAANews and @NTSB are working closely on this, and we will share updates as soon as possible.
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) March 23, 2026
Please keep the victims,… pic.twitter.com/YWTjDn6cde
According to a statement from Air Canada, the preliminary passenger list indicated the aircraft was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members.
New daylight images show the full extent of damage to Air Canada Express flight AC8646 and the firefighting vehicle.
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) March 23, 2026
Some of the latest pictures from the scene show debris hanging from the nose of the plane, while the emergency vehicle involved in the crash lies a few metres… pic.twitter.com/Y8Ywfs7d2z
Port Authority reported that the pilot and co-pilot of the Air Canada Express flight died in the crash. Additionally, 41 people were transported to the hospital, 39 passengers on the plane and two ARFF officers.
"We are deeply saddened by the loss of two Jazz employees, and our deepest condolences go out to the entire Jazz community and their families," stated Air Canada.
"We were dealing with an emergency earlier, and I messed up"
Audio of the incident taken from the Air Traffic Control app, which allows people to listen to live transmissions, has been shared widely online.
You can hear the ARFF vehicle's request to cross Runway 4 approved by an air traffic controller, until he realizes the Jazz Aviation flight operating on behalf of Air Canada (which is designated as JZA646) is on a crash course into the fire truck.
The controller tells another plane, Frontier 4195, to stop and then frantically tells the ARFF vehicle to stop, but it's too late.
"Stop truck one, stop! Stop, truck one, stop!" he says. He reports the collision and advises other flights that the runway is closed.
"Man, that wasn't good to watch," you can hear the pilot on Frontier 4195 respond.
"Yeah, I know I was here. I tried to reach out, and we were dealing with an emergency earlier, and I messed up," the air traffic controller says dejectedly.
Audio from Air Traffic Control when plane collided with fire truck at New York airport:
— BNO News (@BNONews) March 23, 2026
"Stop Truck 1, stop!"
"We were dealing with an emergency earlier and I messed up" pic.twitter.com/7dJcFov4gq
The emergency air traffic controllers were dealing with a separate incident involving a United Airlines flight that reported an odour in the cabin, according to CBS.
"The National Transportation Safety Board is on site. The Port Authority Police Department is working closely with our airline partners as well as federal authorities, and will provide additional updates as more details become available," stated the Port Authority spokesperson.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a post on X that Canadian officials are working with their U.S. counterparts on the ground as the investigation continues.
The collision involving an Air Canada Express aircraft last night in New York that claimed the lives of the pilot and co-pilot, and injured dozens more, is deeply saddening.
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) March 23, 2026
Canadian officials are working closely with their U.S. counterparts on the ground as the investigation…
LaGuardia Airport will remain closed until 2 p.m. on Monday for the investigation.
