Family Identifies Antoine Forest as One of Two Pilots Killed in LaGuardia Crash

Antoine Forest has been identified by his family as one of the two pilots killed when a regional Air Canada jet collided with a Port Authority airport vehicle at LaGuardia Airport in New York City. Jeannette Gagnier, Forest's great-aunt, told the Associated Press that he always wanted to be a pilot. Forest was a native of Coteau-du-Lac, a city in the province of Quebec.

The Air Canada pilot and co-pilot killed in the ground collision at LaGuardia Airport have been identified as Antoine Forest and Mackenzie Gunther. Gunther was identified as the first officer on the flight in an obituary posted by Seneca Polytechnic, where he graduated from the Honours Bachelor of Aviation Technology program in 2023, joining Jazz Aviation immediately after graduation to begin his professional flying career.

The collision occurred around 11:45 p.m. on Sunday, when a CRJ-900 operated by Jazz Aviation touched down on runway four at LaGuardia after its journey from Montréal Trudeau International Airport. The on-the-ground crash demolished the front of the airplane, and the fire truck had been crossing the tarmac just before midnight after being given permission to check on another plane reporting an odor onboard. Before the collision, an air traffic controller can be heard on airport communications frantically telling the fire truck to stop. In recorded audio, a controller can be heard saying afterward, "I messed up."

Preliminary data shows the Air Canada plane was traveling between 93 and 105 mph when it impacted the fire truck, according to FlightRadar24. The collision left cables and debris dangling from the mangled cockpit, and images showed the fire truck flipped onto its side, with most of the damage to its back half.

According to Jazz Aviation, the plane had traveled from Montreal-Trudeau International Airport and had 72 passengers and four crew members aboard. The pilot and co-pilot were pronounced deceased. Forty-one people were injured in the collision and were treated in local hospitals; 32 have been released, the Port Authority said, and some are seriously injured. Flight attendant Solange Tremblay suffered multiple fractures and was taken to hospital for surgery on a broken leg; her daughter Sarah Lépine told CNN affiliate TVA Nouvelles that Tremblay was ejected more than 300 feet from the plane, having been strapped in and seated directly behind the pilots when the aircraft landed.

Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia said a sergeant and a police officer who were on the truck were in stable condition with injuries that were not life-threatening.

The brother of Antoine Forest, Cédric Forest, posted a heartfelt tribute on social media. Forest's hometown of Coteau-du-Lac in Quebec also posted on social media, offering its "sincerest condolences to his family, loved ones and friends." Passenger Rebecca Liquori, who was aboard the flight, said she felt the pilots brake to try to slow the plane down ahead of the crash, protecting passengers as much as they could. "I'm just so appreciative that they were able to save us, but I'm just so sad that they weren't able to make it home to their families," she said.

The crash marks the first deaths at LaGuardia in 34 years, Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia said Monday. Investigators recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, and the NTSB says LaGuardia's main runway, where the crash occurred, will be closed for days while evidence is gathered.

NTSB investigators will look at air traffic controller staffing at LaGuardia as part of the agency's probe as well as their communication training, Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said. A former Department of Transportation inspector general and a retired FAA air traffic controller told the New York Post the crash may have been avoidable, pointing to a breakdown in coordination.

LaGuardia Airport reopened to the public around 2 p.m. Monday afternoon, but the runway where the collision occurred remains closed while additional evidence is gathered. Major airlines announced they would waive rebooking fees for passengers with flights originally scheduled out of LaGuardia on Monday, allowing them to rebook on flights departing from Newark or JFK Airport.