NEW YORK — In what family members and aviation experts are calling a “complete miracle,” a veteran flight attendant survived being ejected from an aircraft during a horrific runway collision at LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night.
The accident occurred around 11:45 PM on March 22, 2026, when Air Canada Express Flight 8646, a Bombardier CRJ-900 operated by Jazz Aviation, collided with a Port Authority fire truck while landing. The impact was devastating, instantly killing both the pilot and co-pilot and leaving the nose of the aircraft unrecognizable.
A Miraculous Escape
Among the chaos, flight attendant Solange Tremblay, a 26-year veteran of the airline, was seated in her jumpseat near the front of the cabin. Upon impact, the force was so violent that her seat was ripped from the fuselage and launched into the air.
First responders discovered Tremblay approximately 100 meters (328 feet) away from the wreckage. Remarkably, she was still strapped into her reinforced jumpseat.
Tremblay was rushed to a local hospital where she underwent surgery for multiple fractures in her leg. Despite the severity of the accident, she is expected to survive. Experts suggest the robust design of the crew’s four-point restraint jumpseat—built to withstand extreme crash loads—likely played a critical role in her survival.
The Investigation: “I Messed Up”
The collision has sent shockwaves through the aviation community. Preliminary reports and air traffic control (ATC) recordings suggest a tragic breakdown in communication.
The fire truck involved was reportedly crossing the runway to investigate a separate “odor” emergency on another aircraft. In a haunting audio transmission released shortly after the crash, a controller can be heard frantically shouting, “Stop, Truck 1. Stop!” Minutes later, the same controller is heard on a recorded line saying, “I tried to reach out… I messed up.” Sources indicate the controller may have been handling multiple positions at once due to staffing shortages at the time of the accident.
Summary of the Incident
| Detail | Information |
| Flight | Air Canada Express 8646 (Montreal to New York) |
| Aircraft | Bombardier CRJ-900 |
| Casualties | 2 deceased (Pilot and Co-pilot) |
| Injuries | 41 people hospitalized |
| Status | NTSB and FAA investigation ongoing |
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recovered the flight recorders and is currently conducting a “walking inspection” of the debris field. LaGuardia Airport experienced significant closures following the crash, though limited operations have since resumed.
