Two Canadian pilots were killed after an Air Canada Express aircraft struck a fire-rescue vehicle while landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport late Sunday, authorities said.
Capt. Antoine Forest and First Officer Mackenzie Gunther were operating the flight from Montreal that hit the vehicle just before midnight. The plane carried 72 passengers and a crew of four. Air Canada said 39 people aboard were injured and six remain hospitalized.
FAA Administrator Brian Bedford described the pilots as “two young men at the start of their careers,” calling their deaths an ‘‘absolute tragedy.’’ Recordings of air-traffic-control communications show controllers cleared the rescue vehicle to cross the runway and then told it to stop before the collision, and sources told CBS News the plane was traveling about 100 mph at impact. The National Transportation Safety Board said a runway warning system did not activate in the moments before the crash; investigators continue to probe the sequence of events.
Family members and colleagues identified the pilots and shared memories. Jeannette Gagnier, Forest’s great aunt, told The Associated Press he had always wanted to fly. Forest, from Coteau-du-Lac, Québec, had worked for two airlines over the past five years, according to his LinkedIn profile. The town’s mayor, Andrée Brosseau, extended condolences, and relatives posted remembrances and photos on social media. A woman who identified herself as Forest’s girlfriend, also a pilot, posted a photo calling him “the love of my life.”
Seneca Polytechnic in Toronto said Gunther graduated from its Honors Bachelor of Aviation Technology program in 2023 and entered the Jazz Aviation Pathways Program, a training pipeline affiliated with Air Canada. The airline said the aircraft was operated by Jazz on behalf of Air Canada. Seneca lowered flags and offered condolences to Gunther’s family, friends and colleagues.
Passengers praised the pilots’ actions during the landing. At least one traveler, Clément Lelièvre, said the crew braked very hard as the plane touched down and credited their reflexes with helping save lives.
The NTSB and other agencies are continuing their investigation into the collision, the air-traffic communications and why the runway warning system did not activate.