Pilots killed in LaGuardia plane crash named

March 24, 2026

Two pilots, 30-year-old Antoine Forest from Québec and recent aviation graduate Mackenzie Gunther, died when their Air Canada Express plane collided with a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night. The crash, which also injured 43 people including two fire truck officers and a flight attendant who was miraculously ejected from the aircraft while still strapped to her seat, closed the airport until Monday afternoon. Investigators revealed that air traffic controllers had cleared both the aircraft and fire truck to cross the same runway, and that outdated ground radar systems failed to detect the conflict or provide warnings.

Who is affected

Antoine Forest (30-year-old pilot from Québec, killed)
Mackenzie Gunther (pilot and 2023 Seneca Polytechnic graduate, killed)
Solange Tremblay (flight attendant from Quebec, injured with multiple fractures)
41 people taken to hospital with injuries
Two fire truck officers injured
Jazz Aviation employees (the pilots and crew worked for this Air Canada Express carrier)
Air traffic controllers on duty Sunday night
Passengers on the flight from Montreal
Family members including Jeannette Gagnier (Forest's great aunt) and Sarah Lépine (Tremblay's daughter)

What action is being taken

The National Transportation Safety Board is conducting an ongoing inquiry
Investigators are conducting interviews with the two controllers on duty Sunday night
Seneca Polytechnic is lowering flags to half-mast on Tuesday
Investigators are examining cockpit voice recordings and tower communications from the final three minutes before the crash

Why it matters

This tragedy highlights critical safety vulnerabilities in the U.S. air traffic control system, including outdated technology that failed to prevent the collision despite both the plane and fire truck being cleared to cross the same runway. The incident underscores systemic problems that air traffic controllers have raised for years, including understaffing and lack of proper tools in high-workload environments. The failure of ground radar systems to detect the fire truck (which lacked a transponder) and provide collision alerts demonstrates how aging infrastructure can have fatal consequences, emphasizing the urgent need for modernization of aviation safety systems.

What's next

The National Transportation Safety Board will continue its ongoing inquiry
Interviews with the two air traffic controllers on duty Sunday night will be conducted

Read full article from source: BBC