NEW YORK — A pilot and co-pilot have died after a late-night collision between an Air Canada regional plane and a Port Authority fire vehicle at LaGuardia Airport in New York, officials said.
The collision happened around 11:40 p.m. Sunday. The FAA says airport operations will be suspended until 2 p.m. Monday for the investigation.
All the latest developments on Channel 2 Action News This Morning from 4:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.
A Port Authority spokesperson confirmed that 39 passengers and two Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting officers were rushed to the hospital.
“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,” according to the Port Authority spokesperson.
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Air Canada confirmed that the flight was en route to LaGuardia from Montreal with 72 passengers and four crew members on board.
Officials have not released the names of the pilot and co-pilot who died.
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Officials have not said what caused the collision. ABC News reports that preliminary information appeared to show that the flight had landed on Runway 4 and was rolling down the runway when the collision occurred.
The ground vehicle had requested permission and had been cleared by the air traffic controller to cross Runway 4 at taxiway Delta, according to audio recordings obtained by ABC News.
Shortly after that permission was granted, an air traffic controller was heard telling the vehicle to stop several times right before the collision.
ABC News contributed to this article.
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