The collision at LaGuardia Airport between an Air Canada plane and an emergency vehicle on the tarmac has been nothing short of a harrowing sequence of events. The biggest question surrounding the tragedy: How did this happen?
Since the crash killed two pilots and injured roughly 40 passengers, investigators have been working to uncover what caused the incident. Authorities recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder—commonly known as the plane’s “black boxes”—and sent them to Washington, D.C., for analysis. While early reports highlighted an air traffic controller saying, “I messed up,” the incident cannot be blamed on human error alone.
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According to ABC 7 Eyewitness News, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy confirmed there were two people in the air traffic control tower at the time of the collision: a local controller and a controller in charge.
Homendy clarified during a press conference on March 24, 2026, that this staffing level is standard for LaGuardia’s midnight shift. While she acknowledged that fatigue can be a concern during overnight operations, she stressed it was not considered a factor in this case.
One key issue has emerged: LaGuardia’s runway safety system—which is designed to track surface movement of aircraft and vehicles—did not generate an alert. According to investigators, this was largely because some vehicles on the tarmac were not equipped with the necessary tracking technology, including the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey fire truck involved in the collision.
The analysis found that the system “did not generate an alert due to the close proximity of vehicles merging and unmerging near the runway, resulting in the inability to create a track of high confidence,” Homendy said.
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The Pilots Killed in the Crash Were Officially Identified
The pilots were identified as Captain Antoine Forest and First Officer Mackenzie Gunther. According to People, both were early in their careers.
“It’s an absolute tragedy that we’re sitting here with their loss,” said Bryan Bedford, administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. “My heart really goes out to their families.”
Forest had been with Jazz Aviation LP since 2022. The French-Canadian pilot reportedly learned English to improve his chances of becoming a commercial pilot.
“He flew his first plane when he was 16 years old,” his great-aunt, Jeannette Gagnier, told Toronto Star. “He was always taking courses and flying. He never stopped. It’s a very bad day for me.”
Gunther was a recent graduate (2023) of Seneca Polytechnic and joined Jazz Aviation shortly after.
“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 school said in a statement.
The institution also lowered its flags to half-mast on March 24 in his honor.
Several passengers have since called the pilots “heroes” for their actions in the moments before impact, crediting them with saving lives.
www.youtube.com/shorts/O7Q-Ua_8YA4
“I’m just so appreciative that they were able to save us, but I’m just so sad that they weren’t able to make it home to their families,” passenger Rebecca Liquori told NBC News. “I wouldn’t be here had it not been for the pilot acting quickly.”
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