Survivor recounts LaGuardia crash: 'I had this moment of wondering, is this it?' | WATCH
Rachel Mariotti recounts LGA plane crash: 'Just grateful to be here'
Rachel Mariotti recounts the moments of the crash and how she's dealing with the aftermath.
NEW YORK - Rachel Mariotti thought she was landing on a routine flight.
Instead, she found herself bracing for impact and helping others escape, after an Air Canada Express plane slammed into a Port Authority fire truck on a runway at LaGuardia Airport.
Local perspective:
Mariotti, a Brooklyn resident, joined Good Day New York to discuss the terrifying moments during and after the crash.
The backstory:
The collision happened just before midnight Sunday, when Flight 8646, arriving from Montreal, struck the emergency vehicle on Runway 4. Investigators say the fire truck had been cleared to cross the runway to check on another aircraft reporting an odor when the crash occurred. Debris from both the plane and the truck remains scattered across the runway.
Two pilots were killed: identified as Antoine Forrest, 30, of Quebec, and Mackenzie Gunther. Federal officials described them as "two young men at the start of their careers."
Seated in the exit row
Mariotti had been seated in an emergency exit row, a position that quickly put her at the center of the evacuation.
"I’m definitely still in shock and still processing," she said. "I mean, waking up this morning, you kind of wake up as if it's a normal day, but realize that that happened to you, so it's still something I'm processing."
'The impact was greater than normal'
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 23: An Air Canada Express plane sits on the tarmac after it collided with a fire truck on the tarmac at LaGuardia Airport on March 23, 2026 in New York City. Two people are believed to have been killed in the late-night acc
The flight had been delayed but otherwise uneventful.
"We were supposed to take off at 8 p.m. And we took off around 10.30 p. M. So we were waiting and the flight is very short. It was a normal flight, nothing crazy," Mariotti said.
As the plane landed, she expected nothing unusual. "I was listening to music, looking out the window. Expecting a normal landing," she said.
Then came the jolt.
"The landing itself was pretty rough, the impact was greater than normal but nothing to be too concerned of but then we the pilots broke uh... They hit the brakes and that's when I knew it was something significant because I was jerked forward pretty hard."
Passengers were thrown forward.
"Other people were, their heads, a lot of them bang their heads against the seat in front of them," she said. "At one moment I wasn't sure if we were going to spin out of control, I looked out the window and had this moment of wondering is this it?"
Taking the exit door off
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 23: Emergency workers gather at the scene after an Air Canada Express plane sits on the tarmac after it collided with a fire truck on the tarmac at LaGuardia Airport on March 23, 2026, in New York City. Two people are belie
When the plane came to a stop, confusion took over. "You don't really realize when it's happening that it's something you know, tragic or catastrophic," Mariotti said.
She says the woman seated next to her, Rebecca, acted quickly. "She took the door off. She's really the hero," Mariotti said.
Mariotti helped move the heavy exit door, admitting they weren’t fully prepared.
"We didn't realize that we're supposed to chuck it out the window," she said. "So definitely a message for people that are sitting in the exit row or in general to pay attention to the instructions."
"Rebecca next to me, she's like, we got to get out on the wing. We don't know if this blade is going to blow up."
'It felt like a movie scene'
Emergency personnel respond to an Air Canada Express CRJ-900 after colliding with a Port Authority fire truck at LaGuardia Airport in New York, on March 23, 2026. Air Canada Express flight AC8646 originated from Montreal and collided with the fire tr
Mariotti climbed onto the wing and jumped to the ground below.
"Which is a surreal moment to be jumping out on the wing of a plane," she said. "And then jumping down onto the ground, which the jump is I mean, it's at least 8 to 10 feet."
Once clear, the reality of the crash became visible. "I’m looking at other people, seeing that they have gashes on their eye, pumps on their head. Most people just have a look of shock on their face," she said.
‘They sacrificed their lives for us’
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 23: Travellers look for rides after LaGuardia Airport was closed following a collision between an Air Canada Express plane and a fire truck on the tarmac on March 23, 2026 in New York City. The plane had landed from a fligh
In the aftermath, Mariotti said the emotional impact is still unfolding.
"So many, I mean, so many things that I don't, I'm not sure," she said. "It was more that this is, this is a. This is a significant event."
At first, she believed everyone had survived. "Once I realized that the pilots sacrificed their lives, I mean, it's... You're just grateful to be here."
"I imagine there's a moment of panic where you want to turn the wheel to avoid hitting a truck, and they didn't do that. Put the nose forward and slowed the plane down," she said. "I wanna say thank you to those pilots… they sacrificed their lives for us."
Escaping with minor injuries
What's next:
Mariotti escaped with minor injuries, soreness in her neck and hip, and is now focusing on recovery.
"I'm okay. I'm fortunately and physically okay," she said. "I'm taking it easy today."
She plans to spend time resting and reconnecting.
The Source: This report is based on an interview with Rachel Marriotti.