Tragic Collision at LaGuardia: Remembering Pilots Mackenzie Gunther and Antoine Forest

Wed Mar 25 2026 01:27:13 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Two young Canadian pilots lost their lives in a runway collision at New York's LaGuardia Airport, leaving a community in mourning and raising questions about airport safety.

Mackenzie Gunther and Antoine Forest were the pilots killed in a tragic collision between their aircraft and a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport. The incident, which resulted in several injuries among passengers and crew, is under investigation, including the circumstances surrounding air traffic control operations. Both pilots were just beginning their careers, and their communities are left to grieve their untimely loss.

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 who had long dreamed of becoming pilots.

Mackenzie Gunther and Antoine Forest were operating the Air Canada jet that was landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Sunday when it collided with a fire truck. Officials have confirmed their identities through family and educational institutions.

Approximately 40 of the roughly 70 passengers and crew members on the regional jet from Montreal and two fire truck officials were hospitalized, some sustaining serious injuries, but most were released by Monday morning.

“These were two young men at the start of their careers,” FAA Administrator Brian Bedford stated. “It’s an absolute tragedy that we’re sitting here with their loss.”

An investigation is currently underway regarding the incident. Federal officials reported on Tuesday that a runway warning system failed to alert before the crash, and they are examining the actions of air traffic controllers involved during a late-night emergency with another aircraft. The crash occurred during a period marked by challenges at U.S. airports, attributed in part to a partial government shutdown.

Antoine Forest

Antoine Forest, as identified by his great aunt Jeannette Gagnier, always aspired to be a pilot. His family and friends have expressed their grief and shared memories of his passion for aviation.

Forest hailed from Coteau-du-Lac, a small town in southwestern Québec. His mayor, Andrée Brosseau, posted condolences, emphasizing the communal loss felt by residents. Forest’s brother, Cédric, honored him by sharing heartfelt memories on social media, asserting their bond and mourning his untimely passing.

Mackenzie Gunther

Mackenzie Gunther was a recent graduate of Seneca Polytechnic’s Honors Bachelor of Aviation Technology program, finishing in 2023. He had just joined the Jazz Aviation Pathways Program, a training initiative by Air Canada. The institution expressed its sorrow, lowering its flags to half-staff in Gunther’s memory, affirming him as a significantly missed member of the aviation community.

Eyewitnesses have shared that, given the circumstances, it was a miracle that more injuries did not occur, crediting Gunther and Forest’s quick actions with potentially saving lives as they managed to brake sharply upon landing.