Two pilots were killed when a regional jet collided with an emergency vehicle on the runway at LaGuardia Airport shortly after landing Sunday night, officials said.

The aircraft, a CRJ-900 operated by Air Canada Jazz, had just touched down when it struck the vehicle, according to officials. The cause of the collision remains under investigation.

Julian Compton, a former Air Canada Jazz pilot who flew the same aircraft for nearly a decade, said incidents like this unfold in seconds, leaving little opportunity for crews to respond.

“They were traveling down the runway at considerable speed … when a vehicle pulls in front of you just like that, there’s almost no time to react at all,” Compton said.

Compton described LaGuardia as one of the more demanding airports to operate in, with tight spacing between arrivals and departures that requires quick decisions on the runway.

“It’s a very hectic airport to fly in and out of,” he said. “You literally have to exit the runway immediately because you’ve got a plane right on your back.”

Despite what he called “world-class training,” Compton said some situations are impossible to anticipate.

“Nothing can really prepare you for this,” he said.

Among the survivors was flight attendant Solange Tremblay, who was seated in a jump seat near the front of the aircraft. She was ejected about 100 meters from the plane while still strapped in, according to her daughter, and suffered multiple leg fractures. She underwent surgery and is expected to recover.

Compton, who said he had worked with Tremblay, described her as professional and thorough.

“I was really shocked to hear she was on that flight,” he said. “I guess it wasn’t her time. She’s still here.”

Passengers evacuated the aircraft after waiting for instructions that never came from the crew, according to passengers who were on the flight.

Authorities have not yet said what led to the vehicle being on the runway at the time of the landing. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.