Donald Trump Reacts to ‘Terrible’ LaGuardia Plane Crash That Killed 2 Pilots, Says ‘It’s a Dangerous Business’

Federal investigators are converging on LaGuardia Airport following a fatal runway collision late Sunday night that killed two pilots and left dozens injured. The incident, involving an Air Canada Express flight and a Port Authority firetruck, has forced the total suspension of operations at one of the nation’s busiest aviation hubs.

At approximately 11:40 p.m. on March 22, Air Canada Express flight AC8646, arriving from Montreal with 72 passengers and four crew members, struck a firetruck on the runway. The emergency vehicle was reportedly responding to a separate, unrelated incident at the time of impact.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey confirmed that the pilot and co-pilot of the aircraft were killed. Medical teams transported 41 individuals to local hospitals; while 32 have been released, two Port Authority officers remain in stable condition with serious injuries.

Leaked air traffic control (ATC) recordings from the moments surrounding the crash suggest a catastrophic communication failure. In the audio, a controller is heard clearing the firetruck to cross the runway before urgently shouting “stop.” Moments later, the same controller is heard stating, “I messed up.”

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have launched a joint investigation to determine why the vehicle and the aircraft were permitted on the active runway simultaneously.

President Donald Trump addressed the tragedy on Monday while boarding Air Force One. “It’s a dangerous business,” the President said, describing the crash as “terrible” and attributing it to a “mistake.”

This incident marks the second major aviation disaster during the President’s second term, following the January 2025 midair collision near Washington, D.C., which claimed 67 lives. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is currently on-site to oversee the federal response, while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed “to find out exactly how this happened.”

LaGuardia Airport remained closed through Monday afternoon, with officials warning that the shutdown could extend into the evening as investigators clear debris and inspect runway integrity.