The two pilots killed when an Air Canada plane crashed into a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport have been identified as Antoine Forest and Mackenzie Gunther. Local media reported Forest was 30 years old and from Québec, while Gunther graduated from Seneca Polytechnic in Toronto in 2023. The tragic incident, which occurred at 23:40 local time on Sunday, injured 41 people who were taken to hospital and shut down the New York airport until the following afternoon.
These were two young men at the start of their career, so it's an absolute tragedy that we're sitting here with their loss, remarked Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) administrator Bran Bedford.
Forest learned to fly bush planes in Saguenay in 2018, and was hired by Jazz Aviation in December 2022. His great aunt spoke highly of him, recalling his dedication to flying from a young age. Gunther was also remembered fondly by his alma mater Seneca Polytechnic, which announced that flags would be flown at half-mast in his honor.
The flight was operated by Air Canada Express carrier Jazz Aviation, and further investigations are being conducted to understand the circumstances of the collision, which involved a fire truck that had been cleared for runway access. The inquiry includes interviews with air traffic controllers and a review of system failures that may have contributed to the tragic accident.
These were two young men at the start of their career, so it's an absolute tragedy that we're sitting here with their loss, remarked Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) administrator Bran Bedford.
Forest learned to fly bush planes in Saguenay in 2018, and was hired by Jazz Aviation in December 2022. His great aunt spoke highly of him, recalling his dedication to flying from a young age. Gunther was also remembered fondly by his alma mater Seneca Polytechnic, which announced that flags would be flown at half-mast in his honor.
The flight was operated by Air Canada Express carrier Jazz Aviation, and further investigations are being conducted to understand the circumstances of the collision, which involved a fire truck that had been cleared for runway access. The inquiry includes interviews with air traffic controllers and a review of system failures that may have contributed to the tragic accident.
