Tragic LaGuardia Runway Collision: Pilots Identified in Fatal Jet and Fire Truck Accident

In a tragic incident on a New York runway, two promising Canadian pilots lost their lives when their plane collided with a fire truck. This unfortunate event took place on Sunday, marking the end of the dreams of these young aviators.

Mackenzie Gunther and Antoine Forrest were the pilots aboard an Air Canada aircraft that was attempting to land at LaGuardia Airport. During the landing, their plane unexpectedly collided with an emergency fire truck. While officials have yet to publicly release their names, their identities were confirmed by a family member speaking to The Associated Press and a Canadian college that one of the pilots had attended.

The collision resulted in approximately 40 individuals, including passengers and crew from the Montreal flight and two fire truck personnel, being transported to hospitals. Some of these individuals sustained serious injuries, although most were discharged by Monday morning, according to reports.

“At the start of their careers, these young men had so much potential,” remarked FAA Administrator Brian Bedford to journalists on Monday. “Their loss is a profound tragedy.”

The cause of the accident is under investigation. On Tuesday, federal authorities disclosed that a critical runway warning system failed to alert of the impending collision. The investigation is also examining the actions of air traffic controllers, who were managing another aircraft emergency late at night. This incident occurred amidst operational chaos at U.S. airports due to a partial government shutdown.

Here is what is known so far about both pilots.

Antoine Forest

Jeannette Gagnier, the great aunt of one of the pilots, identified him as Antoine Forest. Gagnier, who said that Forest looked to her as a grandmother figure, told AP that he always wanted to be a pilot. His LinkedIn page showed he had worked for two airlines the past five years.

Forest’s Facebook page said that he was from Coteau-du-Lac, a small city in southwestern Québec. The mayor of Coteau-du-Lac, Andrée Brosseau, offered condolences to Forest’s family in a translated post on Tuesday from French.

“Antoine was one of our own. In a community like ours, everyone knows someone who knew him. His passing represents an immense loss for our entire community,” Brosseau wrote.

Antoine’s brother, Cédric Forest, shared a picture of his brother and him when they were kids. “Have a safe flight, my brother! Oh yes, we’ve often heard that phrase, but this time will be the last,” he wrote on Facebook. “You were coming and going in the wind, always full of new projects in mind. Gone again in the wind too soon to say goodbye I love you brother you can leave with your head held high.”

A woman who said she is Forest’s girlfriend and also a young pilot shared a photo of the couple on her Facebook account on Tuesday captioned “the love of my life.”

Mackenzie Gunther

Toronto college Seneca Polytechnic said in a statement on Tuesday that Mackenzie Gunther graduated from its Honors Bachelor of Aviation Technology program in 2023.

He joined the Jazz Aviation Pathways Program, a training program operated by Air Canada, immediately after graduating. The flight that crashed on Tuesday was a Jazz Aviation plane operating on behalf of Air Canada.

“Seneca sends our deepest condolences to Mr. Gunther’s family and friends, and to his former colleagues and professors. He will be deeply missed,” the school’s post said.

The school lowered its flags to half-staff to honor Gunther on Tuesday.

Some have said it was a miracle that more people weren’t hurt, and at least one passenger Clément Lelièvre credited Gunther and Forest’s “incredible reflexes” with saving his life and those of others. The pilots braked extremely hard just as the plane touched down, he said.