The aviation community is grieving a devastating loss following a tragic incident involving Air Canada Express Flight AC8646 at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. Antoine Forest and MacKenzie Gunther, the two pilots on board, have been identified among those who lost their lives when the aircraft collided with a Port Authority fire truck during landing late Sunday night.
The CRJ-900 aircraft, operated by Jazz Aviation, was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members on a routine flight from Montreal to New York when the accident occurred. According to early reports, the collision happened on the runway as the plane was landing. Air traffic control audio suggests that the fire truck had been cleared to cross the runway moments before the impact, with a controller later heard expressing regret over the sequence of events.
Antoine Forest, a native of Coteau-du-Lac, Quebec, and his colleague MacKenzie Gunther were described by officials as young professionals at the beginning of promising aviation careers. Their sudden loss has deeply affected colleagues, friends, and the broader aviation community, particularly within Jazz Aviation, where they were considered valued members of the team.
In addition to the loss of the pilots, 41 passengers and crew members were transported to hospital following the crash, with nine individuals still receiving medical care. Authorities have not yet released full details on the extent of their injuries.
Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon has assured Canadians that a thorough investigation will be conducted. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has deployed investigators to assist the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board in determining the cause of the collision.
As the investigation continues, tributes are pouring in for Forest and Gunther—two dedicated aviators whose lives were cut tragically short. Their memory will live on in the hearts of those who knew them and within the aviation community they proudly served.
