New York, March 24 — Two pilots lost their lives after an Air Canada Express CRJ-900 aircraft collided with a fire truck while landing at LaGuardia Airport on Sunday evening. The incident occurred as the plane was arriving from Montreal, carrying over 70 passengers.
Pilot Antoine Forest, 30, and First Officer MacKenzie Gunther were killed in the crash. The fire truck was responding to a separate United Airlines aircraft that had reported an odour issue when the collision happened.
Bryan Bedford, head of the Federal Aviation Administration, expressed grief over the tragedy, noting that both pilots were at the beginning of their careers. “It’s an absolute tragedy that we’re sitting here with their loss,” he said.
Forest, a resident of Quebec, had joined Jazz Aviation, the operator of the aircraft, in December 2022. His great aunt, Jeannette Gagnier, shared that Forest had dreamed of becoming a pilot from a young age and flew his first plane at 16.
Both pilots’ deaths have shocked the aviation community, especially given their recent entry into the profession.
Passengers aboard the flight recounted their experiences during the crash. One passenger praised the pilots’ quick reflexes, noting that they braked sharply just as the plane touched down.
Following the collision, passengers described tearing open emergency exit doors, jumping from the aircraft’s wings, and helping others escape. “Strangely enough, I wasn’t scared or panicked,” said passenger Clement Lelievre. “Most of us knew what happened and helped each other outside.”
Another passenger, Rebecca Liquori, recounted feeling the turbulence before the crash and hearing a loud boom. She described how passengers assisted each other in sliding down the wings to safety. “I’m just happy to be alive,” she said, expressing shock at how a short flight ended in such tragedy.
In the aftermath, roughly 40 passengers and crew, along with two individuals from the fire truck, were hospitalized. Most were released by Monday morning, with some sustaining serious injuries but walking away without further treatment.
The investigation into the collision is ongoing, with authorities examining the circumstances that led to the tragic accident.
