Two pilots lost their lives in a tragic plane crash at a major airport, with one of them identified as Antoine Forest. The incident occurred when an Air Canada jet carrying 72 passengers and four crew members collided with a firefighting vehicle during landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. Forest, originally from Coteau-du-Lac in southwestern Quebec, was named by Canadian outlet TVA Nouvelles. The identity of the other pilot remains unknown.
Despite the fatal outcome, flight attendant Solange Tremblay miraculously survived after being ejected from her seat over a hundred meters from the plane upon impact. Tremblay, who was seated behind the pilots during landing, suffered multiple fractures and is set to undergo surgery for a broken leg.
Audio recordings from LiveATC captured the aftermath of the crash, with an air traffic controller expressing distress over the incident, acknowledging a communication error that occurred due to dealing with an earlier emergency.
The collision happened as the firefighting vehicle was authorized by an air traffic controller to respond to a United Airlines plane reporting an onboard odor. Frantic attempts to stop the vehicle were made before the incoming Air Canada flight was diverted from landing. Approximately 40 passengers and crew members were hospitalized, some with severe injuries, but most were discharged by the following morning.
Visual evidence revealed severe damage to the jet’s nose, with cables and debris hanging from the cockpit. Two Port Authority employees in the firefighting vehicle sustained non-life-threatening injuries, according to Kathryn Garcia, the executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul expressed condolences for the victims and their families, emphasizing the closure of the airport until 2:00 PM and the ongoing investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.