Mackenzie Gunther and Antoine Forest die in fatal LaGuardia runway collision
Fatal LaGuardia runway collision death of Mackenzie Gunther and Antoine Forest – Obituary
Mackenzie Gunther and Antoine Forest, two young Canadian pilots, were killed on March 22 when their Air Canada Express jet collided with a Port Authority fire truck while landing at LaGuardia Airport in New York.
Both men had long aspired to careers in aviation. Gunther, a 2023 graduate of Seneca Polytechnic in Toronto, had recently joined the Jazz Aviation Pathways Program with Air Canada. Forest, from Coteau-du-Lac, Québec, had worked for multiple airlines over the past five years and was described by family as passionate and driven.
The collision injured about 40 passengers and crew on the plane and two people from the fire truck, though most were released from hospitals shortly afterward. Investigators reported that a runway warning system failed to sound before the crash, and federal authorities are reviewing the roles of air traffic control during the incident. Tributes poured in from family, friends, and communities mourning the loss of the two pilots, who were praised for their skill and dedication even in their final moments.