The second Air Canada pilot who lost his life in a crash at LaGuardia Airport on Sunday night has been named as Mackenzie Gunther.
Gunther was co-piloting Air Canada Express Flight 8646 alongside Antoine Forrest when their aircraft collided with a fire truck operated by the Port Authority shortly after landing around 11:40 p.m., according to reports.
The two pilots died after the Air Canada plane was cleared to land on Runway 4, while the fire truck had also received authorization to operate on the same runway during a separate emergency response.
The crash resulted in the jet hitting the fire truck, which was overturned and completely wrecked, causing significant damage to the aircraft’s front.
Mr. Gunther graduated from the Aviation Technology Honors Program at Seneca Institute of Technology in Canada in 2023. The school noted that ambitious graduates often start working as professional pilots right after finishing the program.
“Through the Jazz Aviation Pathway Program, he joined Jazz Aviation immediately after graduation and began his career as a professional aviator,” the institution expressed in their statement.
Seneca extended heartfelt condolences to Gunther’s family, friends, and former colleagues, mentioning he would be sorely missed.
Shocking video footage captured the impact, and audio recordings revealed air traffic controllers urgently repeating, “Stop, stop, stop, stop!” seconds before the crash.
Authorities indicated that Runway 4 would likely remain closed for several days as they worked to clear a large amount of debris from the area.
Approximately 40 of the 70 passengers and crew members were hospitalized, mostly with minor injuries, but most had been released by Monday morning.
Remarkably, two Port Authority employees in the fire truck and a flight attendant named Solange Tremblay, who was thrown from her seat, survived the incident.
The pilots were employed by Jazz Aviation LP, operating as Air Canada Express.
The Airline Pilots Association honored Gunther and Forrest, acknowledging their commitment to passenger safety.
“Losing two of our fellow crew members on Flight 8646 is a significant tragedy,” said union president Jason Ambrosi.
“Today is a very tough day for our airline, our employees, and, most importantly, the families and loved ones of those affected by Flight 8646,” Jazz Aviation President Doug Clark remarked, emphasizing their support for those injured.
In honor of Gunther, flags at the Seneca Technical College campus will be flown at half-staff on Tuesday, and counseling services will be made available for those needing support following this tragic news.
