Air Canada on Tuesday confirmed the deaths of two pilots after an Air Canada Express Mitsubishi CRJ900 aircraft was involved in an accident while landing at New York LaGuardia Airport late on Sunday, March 22.
The flight, AC8646, was operated by Jazz Aviation LP on behalf of Air Canada and had departed from Montreal. According to the passenger list, the aircraft carried 72 passengers and four crew members, for a total of 76 people on board. The incident occurred at approximately 11:30 p.m. local time as the aircraft was arriving.
The airline said the Captain and First Officer of the flight died as a result of the accident.
"On behalf of everyone at Air Canada, I want to express my deep sympathies to everybody affected, and my deepest condolences to the family and friends of the two Jazz pilots who tragically lost their lives. We remain focused on the needs of our passengers and the Jazz crew members, along with their families and loved ones. I extend my thanks and gratitude to the Air Canada team members and the first responders on site, as well as employees of other airlines for their assistance, and to the medical teams for their care for our passengers and the crew. This is a difficult time for everyone, including all of us at Air Canada."
Of the 76 people aboard the CRJ900, 39 were transported to hospitals in the area with injuries described as varying in severity. Another 35 passengers did not require immediate medical attention and were able to continue to their final destinations. At the time of the airline's update, six people remained hospitalized.
Air Canada said it and Jazz Aviation are cooperating with both the Transportation Safety Board of Canada and the National Transportation Safety Board in the United States as officials investigate the cause of the accident. The airline indicated that no further details were available at the time of the statement and that it would provide regular updates as more information becomes available.
The following sections summarize the immediate operational and sector implications and outline near-term uncertainties tied directly to information released by the carrier and the passenger manifest.
Key facts:
- Flight AC8646, operated by Jazz Aviation LP for Air Canada, arrived from Montreal and encountered an accident during landing at LaGuardia on March 22 at around 11:30 p.m.
- The aircraft was a Mitsubishi CRJ900 carrying 72 passengers and four crew members; the Captain and First Officer were killed.
- Thirty-nine people were taken to local hospitals with injuries; 35 did not require immediate medical care and were able to depart; six remain hospitalized.
- Air Canada and Jazz are cooperating with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board in the ongoing investigation.
Contextual note: The carrier has stated that it will issue additional updates as investigators and company officials develop more information. Beyond the material disclosed in the airline's statement, no further specifics on causes or contributing factors were provided.