The two pilots who died when an Air Canada jet collided with a fire truck at New York City’s LaGuardia Airport on March 22 have been identified as Antoine Forrest and Mackenzie Gunther, both Canadians.
The pair were piloting the plane, with dozens of passengers on board, during Sunday night’s devastating collision on the airport’s runway No. 4.
Forrest was identified by his great aunt, Jeannette Gagnier, during an interview with The Associated Press.
He grew up in Coteau-du-Lac, a small city in southwestern Québec, and worked as a first officer for Air Canada for more than three years before the crash, according to his LinkedIn page.
His brother, Cédric, confirmed the death by posting a tribute on his Facebook page on Monday night.
“Have a safe flight, my brother! Oh yes, we’ve often heard that phrase, but this time will be the last,” Cédric wrote in a post with heart emojis.
“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.”
Mackenzie Gunther was identified by Seneca Polytechnic, a Toronto college, where he graduated with an Honors Bachelor of Aviation Technology in 2023.
“Seneca sends our deepest condolences to Mr. Gunther’s family and friends, and to his former colleagues and professors,” the school wrote in a statement.
FAA Administrator Brian Bedford revealed on Monday that both pilots were “at the start of their careers” and called the incident an “absolute tragedy.”
The majority of victims were released within 24 hours.
As of March 24, the NTSB has not yet reviewed data from the plane’s flight recorder.
An investigation is ongoing.
LaGuardia Airport reopened on March 23 but told people to “expect delays and/or cancellations.”
On March 25, LaGuardia Airport cancelled more than 330 flights, which made up the majority of flight cancellations in the United States, according to FlightAware.
