A mid-airport incident at New York's LaGuardia Airport triggered panic after an Air Canada Express aircraft reportedly collided with a ground vehicle, believed to be a fire truck. Audio from the air traffic control (ATC) tower, now circulating on social media, captured urgent warnings moments before the impact.

ATC audio reveals tense moments

In the recording shared by Hindustan Times, officials can be heard coordinating routine movements before the situation escalates.

"Truck 1 and Company, LaGuardia Tower, requesting to cross at 4 at Delta".

"ATC: Truck 1 and Company, cross 4 at Delta."

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"Truck 1 and Company, crossing 4 at Delta."

Moments later, the urgency in the tower becomes clear.

"ATC: Frontier, 4195, just stop there, please. Stop, stop, stop, stop, Truck 1, stop, stop, stop. Stop, Truck 1, stop."

Despite repeated warnings, the ground vehicle appears to collide with the aircraft.

Immediate response and runway closure

Following the collision, ATC directed nearby flights to abort landing and move away from the area.

"ATC: Delta 2603, go around, runway heading 2000."

"ATC: Shots 646. Shots 646, I see you collide with a vehicle."

"ATC: Hold position, I know you can't move. The vehicle is responding to you now."

Shortly after, officials confirmed that operations had been halted.

"Tower, Car 9-0, LaGuardia Airport is closed at this time."

Multiple exchanges also indicated that runway 4-2-2 was closed as emergency response teams moved in.

FAA issues ground stop

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) imposed a ground stop at the airport following the incident. According to reports, the regulator cited an emergency as the reason, without providing further details. A separate notice suggested that the shutdown could continue until 1800 GMT.

Flight tracking platform Flightradar24 also reported that LaGuardia Airport was closed after the collision involving the CRJ-900 aircraft.

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Damage and evacuation

Visuals from the airport showed the aircraft with visible damage. Passengers were reportedly evacuated onto the tarmac. There are also unconfirmed reports of casualties, though no official confirmation has been issued so far.

The incident is believed to have taken place near runway 4, and further details are awaited.