An Air Canada Express regional jet, operated by Jazz Aviation, collided with a fire truck while landing at New York's LaGuardia Airport late Sunday.
The incident resulted in the deaths of the pilot and co-pilot; injury details for the 72 passengers and 4 crew are not yet known.
LaGuardia Airport is closed until at least 2 p.m. local time, expected to affect many hundreds of flights.
This is another fatal commercial aviation accident in the U.S., following a string of recent incidents including an American Airlines jet colliding with a military helicopter and a UPS crash.
National Transportation Safety Board officials are dispatched to investigate the cause.
Audio from air traffic controllers indicates remorse, but the specific circumstances are still unclear.
Authorities are under pressure to quickly understand what went wrong to address safety concerns.
The incident highlights ongoing challenges in U.S. aviation safety and modernization efforts.