The pilots killed in Sunday’s collision between a plane and a fire truck on a runway in New York were two young, ambitious Canadian men that had long dreamed of becoming pilots.
Mackenzie Gunther and Antoine Forest were operating the Air Canada jet that crashed while landing at LaGuardia Airport. Although officials have not publicly identified the victims, family members confirmed their identities.
Approximately 40 out of the 70 passengers and crew members aboard the regional jet from Montreal, along with two fire truck personnel, were taken to hospitals, some with serious injuries, though most were released by Monday morning.
“These were two young men at the start of their careers,” said FAA Administrator Brian Bedford, expressing his sorrow over the tragedy.
An investigation has begun to determine the cause of the collision, focusing on a malfunction of the runway warning system that failed to alert the pilots, as well as the actions of air traffic controllers managing multiple emergencies at the time.
Antoine Forest
The great aunt of one of the pilots, Jeannette Gagnier, confirmed Antoine Forest's identity. Gagnier described him as someone who looked up to her as a grandmother, who had always dreamed of becoming a pilot.
Forest hailed from Coteau-du-Lac in southwestern Québec, where Mayor Andrée Brosseau expressed condolences, stating it was a great loss for the tight-knit community.
In a heartfelt tribute, Antoine’s brother Cédric shared a nostalgic photo of them as kids. “You were coming and going in the wind... gone again in the wind too soon to say goodbye,” he wrote.
Mackenzie Gunther
Seneca Polytechnic in Toronto announced that Mackenzie Gunther, a recent graduate of their Honors Bachelor of Aviation Technology program, had joined the Jazz Aviation Pathways Program shortly after graduation.
In a statement, the school sent its condolences and lowered flags to half-staff in memory of Gunther, who will be deeply missed.
Many have expressed gratitude that the incident wasn't worse, with one passenger attributing his survival to the remarkable reflexes of Gunther and Forest as they managed to brake hard upon touchdown.
