BOTH of the pilots killed in the deadly crash between an Air Canada plane and a fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport have been identified.
Sunday night’s crash killed the pilot and co-pilot and injured dozens of people.
Just before midnight on Sunday, an Air Canada Express plane collided with a Port Authority fire truck, causing the major New York City hub to shut down for several hours.
One of the pilots was identified as Antoine Forest, from Coteau-du-Lac, Québec, outside Montreal, according to Journal de Montreal.
Mackenzie Gunther has been identified as the second pilot.
Forest’s LinkedIn profile showed he had been a first officer with Jazz Aviation for just over three years.
Shaken passengers reveal horror details after LaGuardia plane crash killed 2
DEADLY IMPACT
Moment Air Canada jet smashes into fire truck in deadly runway crash
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said on Monday afternoon that both of the pilots were men at the start of their careers.
The name of the other pilot had not been revealed as of late Monday afternoon.
The two pilots were killed on impact.
Speaking to The U.S. Sun, passenger Joe Capio praised the pilots for avoiding an even worse crash.
An Air Canada Express jet collided with a fire truck while landing at New York’s LaGuardia airport late on Sunday, killing both pilots, injuring dozens and closing the airport, authorities said, in an incident likely to intensify scrutiny after a series of recent aviation lapses.
Debris hangs from a damaged Air Canada Express jet that had collided with a fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York, U.S., March 23, 2026. Photo: Reuters
The Air Canada Express CRJ-900 plane, operated by its regional partner Jazz Aviation, was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members from Montreal, Canada, said Kathryn Garcia, the executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Jazz is owned by Chorus Aviation.
Garcia said 32 of the 41 injured had been released, while nine remained in hospital with “serious injuries.” Those injured included passengers, crew members and the two officers aboard the fire truck; both officers remained hospitalised with non-life-threatening injuries.
Fire truck was cleared to cross runway
Garcia said the fire truck was responding to a separate United Airlines aircraft that had “reported an issue with odor.”
Minutes earlier, air traffic control (ATC) audio from LiveATC.net indicated that a United Airlines flight had declared an emergency due to an odor onboard. Controllers advised the crew that fire trucks were already on site.
A second transmission then shows a fire truck was cleared to cross Runway 4, where the collision occurred, at taxiway ‘Delta.’
Moments later, according to the ATC audio, a controller can be heard saying: “Stop, stop, stop, truck 1 stop, truck 1, stop.”
The aircraft struck the fire vehicle at a speed of about 24 miles per hour (39 kph), according to flight tracking website Flightradar24, which last recorded data at 11:37 p.m. ET (0337 GMT).
Photos taken by Reuters after the accident showed visible damage to the nose of the plane, which was tilted upward.
Air Canada referred Reuters to Jazz’s statement and said it was aware of the incident. Jazz had earlier acknowledged the collision and said it would provide further details when available.
Flights cancelled, delays expected
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it was deploying a team of technical experts to investigate the incident, while the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the airport was expected to remain shut until 2 p.m. ET (1800 GMT) on Monday.
The closure of one of New York’s busiest airports will add to travel disruption caused by the weeks-long partial government shutdown. Absences among transportation security workers have soared, leading to lengthy lines for passengers at major U.S. airports.
New York City’s emergency notification system said people could expect cancellations, road closures, traffic delays and emergency personnel near the airport.
About 537 flights had been canceled at the airport so far on Monday, according to tracking website FlightAware.
LaGuardia served more than 30 million annual passengers in 2025, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and a wide range of U.S. airlines operate at the airport.
Recent incidents
According to the FAA, there have been 97 runway incursions in January this year, compared to 133 incidents during the same period last year.
A bipartisan group of U.S. House lawmakers last month proposed legislation to address 50 aviation safety recommendations issued after a year-long investigation into the January 2025 collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people.
Last year also saw a UPS cargo plane crash shortly after takeoff in Louisville, Kentucky, killing seven and injuring 11 on the ground.
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I was on the Air Canada flight that crashed at LaGuardia. I felt the plane lose control, and I ducked and prayed. Jack Cabot was on Air Canada Flight AC8646 to LaGuardia Airport when it crashed upon landing. TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP via Getty Images/Jack Cabot This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with […]
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