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Pilots killed in LaGuardia crash named
Federal authorities have identified the two pilots who died when their Air Canada Express plane collided with a fire truck at New York's LaGuardia Airport late Sunday. Antoine Forest, 30, from Quebec, and Mackenzie Gunther, a 2023 graduate of Seneca Polytechnic in Toronto, were at the controls of the Jazz Aviation flight.
Flight details and immediate aftermath
The crash occurred at 23:40 local time (03:40 GMT Monday) as the aircraft, arriving from Montreal, struck the emergency vehicle while crossing the runway. The impact injured 41 people, closed the airport until Monday afternoon, and left the plane in flames.
Flight attendant Solange Tremblay, also from Quebec, survived after being thrown from the aircraft and found over 100 metres away, still strapped to her seat. She suffered multiple fractures but is expected to recover.
Tributes to the pilots
Forest began flying bush planes in Saguenay in 2018 and joined Jazz Aviation in December 2022. His great-aunt, Jeannette Gagnier, told the Toronto Star he had spent summers with her while improving his English for his aviation career. "He never stopped learning and flying," she said. "He took his first solo flight at 16."
Gunther, hired by Jazz after graduating from Seneca, was remembered by the college in a statement: "Seneca extends its deepest condolences to Mr. Gunther's family, friends, and colleagues. He will be profoundly missed." Flags on campus were lowered to half-mast on Tuesday.
Investigation reveals critical communications
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released excerpts from the cockpit voice recorder and tower communications on Tuesday. An air traffic controller was heard urgently repeating, "Truck One, stop, stop, stop!" moments before impact.
Both the plane and the fire truck had been cleared to cross the runway. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy noted that a ground radar system failed to alert controllers to the impending collision, and the truck lacked a transponder, which could have improved detection.
"Controllers need every tool and all available information to do their jobs safely," Homendy said. "The current system is outdated, and this is 2026."
Staffing and safety concerns raised
Homendy emphasized that air traffic controllers have long warned about understaffing in towers, describing LaGuardia as a "high-workload environment" where multiple failures often precede accidents. She cautioned against assigning blame prematurely, stressing the need for systemic upgrades.
The two firefighters in the truck were also hospitalized with injuries. The NTSB plans to interview the controllers on duty during the incident as part of its ongoing probe.
Correction note
An earlier version of this report incorrectly stated the pilots and crew were employed by Air Canada. They were employees of Jazz Aviation LP, which operates flights under the Air Canada Express brand.
