Two pilots killed in LaGuardia Airport crash have been identified by Canadian officials

Antoine Forest was the captain and Mackenzie Gunther was the first officer, according to Forest’s hometown and the college where Gunther earned his aviation degree.

WASHINGTON — The two Air Canada pilots killed when their plane collided with a fire truck on the runway at New York’s LaGuardia Airport have been identified by local officials in Canada.

Antoine Forest was the flight’s captain and Mackenzie Gunther was the first officer or co-pilot, according to Forest’s hometown and the Toronto college where Gunther earned his aviation degree. Their names were first reported by Canadian news outlets, but investigators have yet to publicly confirm their identities.

Forest was from Coteau-du-Lac, a community of about 7,000 in the Canadian province of Quebec, city officials confirmed Monday in a Facebook post. 

“Coteau-du-Lac and the members of the municipal council would like to offer their deepest condolences to his family, relatives and friends,” city officials wrote. “We wish them all the comfort they need to get through this ordeal.”

Seneca Polytechnic, a college in Toronto, posted an obituary for Gunther on its school website, saying the first officer was an alumnus. According to the post, Gunther earned a degree in aviation technology from the school in 2023.

Flags at the Toronto school were ordered to be flown at half-staff Tuesday to honor Gunther.

As of Tuesday, the two pilots were the only people reported killed in the plane crash at LaGuardia.

The jet, carrying 72 passengers, had arrived at the New York airport from Montreal when it collided with a fire truck on the airport runway late Sunday night.

According to the New York Port Authority, which manages the airport, 41 people aboard Air Canada 8646 were taken to the hospital, some with what officials described as “serious injuries.” However, most were released from the hospital Monday morning.

Two Port Authority employees in the fire truck also suffered injuries, described as “not life-threatening” by authorities.

A LinkedIn profile lists Forest as a pilot for Jazz Aviation, the regional airliner that Air Canada Express chartered for flight 8646.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called the collision “deeply saddening” on Monday, adding that Canadian officials were working closely with the U.S. as the investigation into the crash continued.

President Donald Trump called the crash a “terrible” situation and a “mistake.”

LaGuardia plane crash air traffic control audio reveals frantic call for truck to ‘stop, stop, stop’

Pilot, copilot killed in LaGuardia collision, which crushed nose of Air Canada Express Flight 8646 aircraft on tarmac

Frantic air traffic control audio has been released revealing the moment of the crash that left two pilots dead and at least 42 injured after striking a fire truck Sunday at New York’s LaGuardia airport.

“I messed up,” voice from another audio clip released from air traffic control was heard saying.

In the moments before the crash, an air traffic controller could be heard on a radio transmission discussing the request for the emergency vehicle to cross part of the tarmac, then trying to stop it.

“Stop, Truck 1. Stop,” the transmission said. “Frontier 4195, stop there please. “Stop, stop, stop, stop.”

“Truck 1, stop, stop, stop,” a controller was heard saying. “Stop truck one. Stop!”

Then beeping noises sounded as the controller could be heard announcing vehicles en route and frantically diverting an incoming aircraft from landing.

Other air traffic control audio from another pilot witnessesing the action was also released, communicating with the distressed air traffic controller.

“That wasn’t good to watch,” a Frontier Flight 4195 pilot told the tower later.

“Yeah, I know,” a controller responded, according to audio recordings. “I was here. I tried to reach out. … We were dealing with an emergency earlier. I messed up.”

“Nah man, you did the best you could,” the pilot replied.

The fire truck was responding to a separate incident aboard a United Airlines flight, whose pilot had reported “an issue with odor.”

The pilot and copilot were killed in the collision, which crushed the nose of the aircraft, while 39 passengers and crew members were taken to area hospitals, some with serious injuries. Most have since been released from treatment, authorities said Monday.

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“Air Canada Express Flight 8646 struck an Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle after landing on Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport in New York,” the Federal Aviation Administration wrote in a statement early Monday morning.

“The accident occurred around 11:45 p.m. local time on Sunday, March 22. The CRJ-900 was arriving from Montreal. The FAA and NTSB will investigate. The NTSB is in charge of the investigation and will provide all updates.”

Two Port Authority employees who were traveling in the fire truck also suffered injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, said Kathryn Garcia, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport.

The pilot and copilot were both based out of Canada, Garcia said during a news conference early Monday.

Officials examine the area around an airport firetruck on the runway at LaGuardia Airport after a collision with an Air Canada jet that had just landed, Monday, March 23, 2026, in New York.  (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

The Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighter (ARFF) Unit is staffed and operated by Port Authority police officers (PAPD). Each Port Authority police officer assigned to ARFF is a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified aircraft rescue fire fighter and must certify twice annually, twice the FAA requirement, according to PAPD.

“They have to get clearance from the tower to move on our runways and our taxiways,” Garcia said at an early morning news conference.

The air traffic control audio appears to have granted the truck clearance to cross the runway, before frantically rescinding it.

The airport will remain closed until at least 2 p.m. Monday to facilitate the investigation, which is being led by the National Transportation Safety Board.

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There were 72 passengers and four crew members aboard the aircraft, a Jazz Aviation flight operating on behalf of Air Canada, according to a statement from the airline. The flight originated at Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, the major airport serving Montreal.

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Photos and videos from the scene showed severe damage to the front of the aircraft, with cables and debris hanging from a mangled cockpit. Nearby, a damaged emergency vehicle lay on its side.

Stairways used to evacuate passengers from the aircraft were pushed up to the emergency exits on the jet, a Bombardier CRJ. The impact left the jet with its crumpled nose tilted upward.