An Air Canada Express service operated by Jazz Aviation, a Mitsubishi CRJ-900 designated Flight AC8646, was involved in an accident while landing at New York LaGuardia Airport on Sunday night.
The flight had departed from Montréal and, according to preliminary passenger manifests, was carrying roughly 72 passengers and four crew members. Those figures are provisional and remain subject to confirmation by authorities.
The incident took place at about 11:30 pm. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey confirmed that the pilot and the first officer on board were killed in the accident. Air Canada said it is deeply saddened by the loss of two Jazz employees and extended its condolences to the Jazz community and to the families of the deceased.
At this time Air Canada said it cannot verify the exact number of injuries or whether there are additional fatalities beyond the two crew members reported killed by the Port Authority.
Emergency response units attended the scene to assist passengers who were injured. Some individuals have been transported to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Air Canada and Jazz Aviation reported that operational teams are preparing to travel to LaGuardia to assist on site. The airlines indicated they will provide ongoing updates as more information becomes available.
Both carriers are cooperating with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, which are involved in the investigation into the cause of the accident.
Information remains limited and officials have not released further details about the circumstances of the landing or the condition of all on board. Air Canada and Jazz Aviation have not provided a confirmed passenger count beyond the preliminary lists cited and have not offered a timeline for additional updates.
Summary
A Jazz-operated CRJ-900 flying as Air Canada Express Flight AC8646 from Montréal experienced an accident on landing at LaGuardia around 11:30 pm Sunday. Preliminary manifests list about 72 passengers and four crew. The Port Authority confirmed two crew fatalities. Emergency services transported some injured passengers to local hospitals. Air Canada and Jazz are coordinating with Canadian and U.S. safety boards and will send teams to the airport.