‘Too soon for us to say goodbye,’ says brother of Quebec pilot killed in crash at N.Y. airport

Antoine Forest, from Coteau-du-Lac, Que., and Mackenzie Gunther died in the incident

Antoine Forest, one of two pilots killed in Sunday’s crash at New York’s LaGuardia airport, was the captain of the flight. (Antoine Forest/Facebook)

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Antoine Forest, a 30-year-old man from Quebec, was one of the pilots killed in the Sunday night crash at New York’s LaGuardia airport, according to Radio-Canada sources.

Forest was from Coteau-du-Lac, Que., southwest of Montreal, about 20 kilometres east of the Ontario border. He was the captain and Mackenzie Gunther was the first officer, according to Radio-Canada sources.

In a Facebook post, Antoine’s brother, Cédric Forest, shared a photo that appears to show the two of them as children.

“Have a good flight, my brother! Oh yes, we’ve heard that phrase so many times, but this time, it’ll be the last,” he wrote.

“You’d come and go in a flash, always with new projects in mind. You’ve left us in a flash again, too soon for us to say goodbye. I love you, my brother. You can leave with your head held high.”

A photo shared by Cédric Forest, Antoine’s brother. (Facebook/Cédric Forest)

On Tuesday afternoon, Kahina Gagnon, Antoine’s girlfriend, also shared a photo of the couple on her Facebook account, both of them smiling widely and embracing, captioned “the love of my life.”

On the city’s Facebook page, Coteau-du-Lac and the members of the municipal council offered their “sincerest condolences to his family, loved ones and friends. We wish them all the comfort they need to get through this difficult time.”

Forest’s LinkedIn page lists him as an employee of Jazz Aviation since December 2022.

And his Facebook profile includes photos of him, smiling brightly, on outdoor adventures such as hiking, kayaking, sailing and climbing.

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Ontario college aviation program remembers pilot graduate killed in LaGuardia collision

Gunther, who was first officer on the flight, graduated from Seneca College’s aviation technology program in 2023, according to an online memoriam posted on the school’s website this week. He joined Jazz Aviation immediately after graduating from the school.

“Seneca sends our deepest condolences to Mr. Gunther’s family and friends, and to his former colleagues and professors. He will be deeply missed,” the memoriam read.

The college’s campuses were set to fly flags at half-mast Tuesday to honour his memory.

And Toronto’s CN Tower is expected to dim for five minutes at the top of every hour on Tuesday night as a tribute to the two pilots who lost their lives.
WATCH | Quebec pilot’s hometown remembers him:

Hometown of Quebec pilot killed in LaGuardia plane crash feels his loss

Antoine Forest, a 30-year-old man from Coteau-du-Lac, Que., was one of two pilots who died in the crash at New York’s LaGuardia airport on Sunday night.

‘He may have saved us’

The Air ⁠Canada Express CRJ-900 plane collided with a fire truck while landing in New York, killing the pilot and first officer. The plane was ⁠operated by Air Canada’s partner, Jazz Aviation.

It was carrying ‌72 passengers and four crew members from Montreal to New York. A total of 41 passengers and crew were taken to hospital.

Clément Lelièvre, a New York City resident who was on board the plane, was sitting in seat 21D, near a wing and an emergency exit.

The scene unfolded “very, very quickly” inside the cabin.

“The moment we hit the ground, I think the pilot did the best he could and he may have saved us a bit because he braked instantly,” Lelièvre told Radio-Canada.

“It took courage, composure and speed to brake because if we hadn’t braked, we don’t know what [else] might have happened.”

Air Canada passengers recount moment of deadly collision on LaGuardia runway

At that moment, Lelièvre said most passengers hit the seat in front of them and got injured.

“At one point, everything turned black,” he recalled, less than 24 hours after the accident.

“Everything collapsed, everything was destroyed in front of us, starting from business class.”

Still, he remembers passengers remaining calm and doing their best to open the emergency exits and take refuge on the wings of the aircraft in a collective effort.

“We all helped each other,” he said.

National Transportation Safety Board officials are investigating the crash and say they’ve recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada will also take part in the U.S.-led investigation.