Who were the Air Canada pilots killed in LaGuardia plane crash?
The Air Canada pilot and co-pilot who were killed in the ground collision at LaGuardia Airport late Sunday have been identified as Antoine Forest and Mackenzie Gunther.
The two pilots were flying an Air Canada Express CRJ-900 regional jet operated by Jazz Aviation, Air Canada’s regional partner.
Jeannette Gagnier, the great aunt of Forest, told The Associated Press that he always wanted to be a pilot. The small city of Coteau-du-Lac in southwestern Quebec also identified Forest, saying in an online post that the pilot was originally from the community.
Gunther was identified as the first officer on the flight in an online obituary posted by Seneca Polytechnic, where the young pilot graduated from the Honours Bachelor of Aviation Technology program in 2023.
Gunther joined Jazz Aviation following graduation and began his professional flying career, according to the obituary.
“Seneca sends our deepest condolences to Mr. Gunther’s family and friends, and to his former colleagues and professors,” the obituary said. “He will be deeply missed.”
Some passengers aboard the flight have said that the pilots’ actions before the deadly impact likely saved the lives of those on board.
“Looking back on it, the pilot did the best thing he could,” passenger Jack Cabot said. “He hit the brakes as hard as he could, and he knew it was going to be at the cost of his own life.”
Passenger Clément Lelièvre told The Associated Press that the pilots braked extremely hard just as the plane touched down, crediting their “incredible reflexes” with saving lives.
Investigators have yet to publicly confirm their identities.
The union representing the pilots on Monday released a statement calling the loss of the two pilots a “profound tragedy.”
“These pilots dedicated their careers to the safe transport of passengers, and we are all thinking of their families, loved ones, and colleagues at Jazz Aviation during this devastating time,” Capt. Jason Ambrosi, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), said.
Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau on Monday said he was “deeply saddened by the loss,” and cautioned that many details remain unclear as the investigation unfolds.
NTSB to hold LaGuardia crash media briefing soon
Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are expected to hold a briefing on the deadly LaGuardia Airport crash on Tuesday afternoon.
The NTSB announced the briefing would begin at 1:30 p.m. ET at LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy told “FOX & Friends” earlier Tuesday that investigators have “a lot of questions.”
She said investigators hope to share more information on air traffic control at the time of the crash, along with the recovered cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder.
Air Canada passenger praises pilots’ ‘bravery and courage’ in deadly crash: ‘Saved our lives’
Another Air Canada passenger is heralding the two pilots killed in a ground collision at LaGuardia Airport as heroes, saying their swift action in the seconds before the deadly runway impact with a fire truck prevented more deaths.
Long Island resident Rebecca Liquori didn’t mince her words when speaking with WABC-TV, saying, “Those pilots saved our lives.”
“I’m forever grateful for them and I feel so sorry for their families, that they’re having to go through this,” she said.
Liquori described the landing and what happened in the moments before the collision. She said there was “a lot of turbulence” during the flight’s descent into LaGuardia, saying the flight crew urged passengers to keep their seatbelts on.
“We were coming down, the plane was shaking and we landed very roughly,” she said. “When we landed the plane kind of jolted and that got everyone on high alert.”
The pilot then “braked immediately,” Liquori said, adding that she heard the brake making “a grinding sound.” What followed was “this huge boom” from the impact with the fire truck, and passengers were thrown forward in their seats, she said.
“I believe him acting so swiftly with that brake minimized the impact of that collision which prevented more fatalities,” she said.
“I’m forever indebted to both pilots,” Liquori continued. “They saved my life and so many other survivors on that plane with their bravery and courage.”
Pilot’s brother posts tribute after deadly LaGuardia collision: ‘Too soon for us to say goodbye’
The brother of one of the Air Canada pilots who died in a ground collision at LaGuardia Airport on Sunday night posted a heartfelt tribute on social media.
Antoine Forest was killed in the impact with a Port Authority fire truck along with the flight’s first officer, Mackenzie Gunther.
Cédric Forest shared a photo on Facebook of him and Antoine as children on an amusement park ride.
“Have a good flight, my brother! Oh yes, we’ve heard that phrase so many times, but this time, it’ll be the last,” Cédric Forest wrote.
“You’d come and go in a flash, always with new projects in mind. You’ve left us in a flash again, too soon for us to say goodbye. I love you, my brother. You can leave with your head held high,” the post read.
Forest’s hometown Coteau-du-Lac in Quebec also posted on social media, offering its “sincerest condolences to his family, loved ones and friends. We wish them all the comfort they need to get through this difficult time.”
Port Authority union shares unit’s response to witnessing plane collide with fellow officers’ truck
Port Authority police officers who witnessed the deadly ground collision between an Air Canada jet and their fellow officers’ fire truck immediately jumped into action to help those aboard the aircraft — without knowing whether their fellow officers were even still alive, according to a union representing the officers.
The Port Authority Police Benevolent Association Inc said in a statement Monday night that the police officers in the Port Authority Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighter (ARFF) Unit were responding to an aircraft emergency on Runway 4 before the collision.
“Truck 1 was in the lead and received instruction from Air Traffic Control for the ARFF Unit to cross the runway,” the union said. “As Truck 1 started crossing the runway, it was struck by Air Canada Flight 8646.”
The other units following behind Truck 1 witnessed the tragic collision, according to the union.
“The members of those units immediately went into rescue operations evacuating the passengers, securing their safety while not knowing if their fellow officers in Truck 1 were dead or alive,” the union said. “True professionalism.”
The union said that the Port Authority police officer and sergeant in the truck at the time of the crash are in stable condition, though it did not provide updates on their injuries.
“We hope for their complete recoveries,” the union said.
Flight attendant survives ejection from Air Canada flight in deadly LaGuardia crash: ‘Total miracle’
In what is being heralded as a “total miracle,” a flight attendant survived being thrown from an Air Canada plane after it collided with a fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night.
The aircraft, identified as a Jazz Aviation flight operating on behalf of Air Canada from Montreal, was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members when it collided with a fire truck on the runway while landing, according to officials.
Flight attendant Solange Tremblay was still strapped into her seat when she was ejected from the aircraft during the collision, according to her family.
Tremblay’s daughter, Sarah Lepine, told Canadian news station TVA Nouvelles what happened to her mother was a “total miracle.”
She said her mother had multiple fractures on one leg and will need surgery, but was otherwise OK.
“I’m still trying to understand how all this happened,” Lepine said, “but she definitely has a guardian angel watching over her.”
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz.
Investigators ‘have a lot of questions’ for air traffic control, NTSB chair says
National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy detailed what kind of questions investigators have for air traffic controllers at LaGuardia Airport following Sunday night’s deadly crash.
Homendy told “FOX & Friends” on Tuesday morning that “we have a lot of questions” as investigators begin their first full day at the crash site where an Air Canada jet collided with a Port Authority fire truck crossing a runway, killing the two pilots and injuring more than 40 others.
“They have a lot of questions for air traffic control,” she said. “Everything from workload at the time, who was communicating, who was in the tower cab, who was in the facility, what the changeover was like for the new shift, which is the midnight shift.”
“We have questions about communications and that will be revealed on the cockpit voice recorder, which we were able to recover, and the flight data recorder,” she continued.
Homendy said that while “conclusions will take time,” the NTSB will hold a press conference later Tuesday. She said investigators hope to share more information on air traffic control, the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder at that time.
NTSB investigators en route to LaGuardia crash site delayed for hours amid DHS shutdown
Investigators traveling to the crash site at LaGuardia Airport had to wait in line for hours at airports across the nation due to the impact of the Department of Homeland Security shutdown, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said.
Homendy made the comments on “FOX & Friends” Tuesday morning when asked about the delays investigators faced.
“Jennifer, one thing you had to clear was the hurdle of getting your investigators there because they had to go through the TSA lines, too, and they had to fly in to handle this, right?” co-anchor Brian Kilmeade asked Homendy.
Homendy replied that it “took all day” for investigators just to get to the runway where an Air Canada jet collided with a Port Authority fire truck, killing two pilots and injuring dozens of others.
“I drove up and beat most of our investigators here,” Homendy said. “They’re coming from all across the nation and they were in line for hours.”
The DHS shutdown has dragged on for nearly 40 days as Democrats and Republicans argue over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reforms.
The shutdown is wreaking havoc for airline travelers across the country as TSA agents are poised to miss their paychecks this Friday, the second full pay period missed of the ongoing shutdown.
LaGuardia crash puts focus on controller as investigators guard key details
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy on Monday said an air traffic controller involved in the deadly plane crash at LaGuardia airport would “typically” be removed from duty, while stressing investigators are still verifying key details before releasing more information.
Homendy said the agency has information about tower staffing and the controller’s role, but is not yet prepared to make that information public as it continues to be corroborated.
“Typically they would be removed from duty, and, certainly, it’s pretty traumatic for that air traffic controller as well,” Homendy said at a news conference when asked what happens to a controller following an incident like the crash at LaGuardia airport.
“We’ll want to interview that air traffic controller as well as others that were in the tower, or maybe not even in the tower.”
She added that questions about the controller’s current status would have to be answered by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Homendy emphasized that the agency is still working to verify critical details tied to staffing, communications and timing before drawing any conclusions.
“We have information. Yes, but we need to verify that information before we provide it,” she said.
LaGuardia crash black boxes intact as probe zeroes in on final seconds
Investigators have recovered the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) from the plane crash at LaGuardia airport, with early analysis already underway and key findings expected soon.
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy on Monday said the cockpit voice recorder “was not damaged,” and has already been transported to Washington, D.C. for analysis.
She explained that in order to get to the recorders, the NTSB, Port Authority and emergency responders cut a hole in the roof of the aircraft. The recorders were then taken back to the NTSB’s labs in Washington, D.C.
“They’ve been able to at least verify that the cockpit voice recorder was not damaged,” Homendy said, adding that work on the flight data recorder will begin Tuesday. “My hope is that we’ll have information to share on that tomorrow.”
Homendy said investigators are working to determine key details, including the position of the aircraft and the fire truck in the moments before the crash.
“That is actually what …we hope to get from the FDR,” she said.
The investigation also includes reviewing surveillance footage and air traffic control data, including a replay of the airport surface detection system used by controllers.
Homendy noted the crash scene is extensive, with debris spread across multiple areas of the runway and taxiway.
“It’s pretty expansive,” she said, adding that investigators must carefully document and collect evidence before removing wreckage — a process expected to take days.
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