Antoine Forest, Jazz Aviation Hero Pilot, Sparked Buzz with Emotional Instagram Post – Photo

EditoronMarch 25, 2026Leave a Comment

A separate BBC update laid out the broader sequence of events. According to that timeline, the Air Canada flight departed Montreal at 10:12 p.m. ET, more than two hours behind schedule.

Minutes before 11:40 p.m., a Port Authority rescue and firefighting vehicle was dispatched to assist with a separate issue involving a plane at LaGuardia that had requested support. At about that same time, the aircraft collided with the truck on the ground while landing.

Port Authority representative gives press conference after an An Air Canada Express plane colliding with a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport on March 23, 2026, in New York City. | Source: YouTube/NBC New York

Emergency crews responded right away after the impact. By 3:09 a.m., LaGuardia said the airport was closed because of the incident, and around 3:30 a.m., the first portion of the National Transportation Safety Board team arrived.

At 4:48 a.m., Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia said two Air Canada pilots had died, and nine people remained in the hospital. Two Port Authority police officers were also badly injured.

Additionally, she said the airport would stay closed until at least 2:00 p.m. local time so investigators could continue processing the scene. Federal and local investigations are now underway.

A Sudden and Devastating Loss

In the days since the devastating LaGuardia crash, one detail after another has made the story even more emotional. And just when it seemed the public heartbreak could not deepen, an old Instagram post from pilot Antoine Forest began drawing fresh attention online.

As reported by CBC, Forest was identified as one of the pilots killed in the Sunday night crash at New York’s LaGuardia airport. The outlet reported that the Quebec resident was from Coteau-du-Lac, southwest of Montreal, and had been working for Jazz Aviation since December 2022.

Antoine Foster smiling for a photo in an aircraft, posted on August 11, 2019. | Source: Facebook/Antoine Forest

Forest was the captain, while Mackenzie Gunther was the first officer. The Air Canada Express CRJ-900, operated by Jazz Aviation, had been traveling from Montreal to New York with 72 passengers and four crew members on board, and 41 people were taken to the hospital following the crash.

What Passengers Remember Most About Those Final Moments

The aftermath was chaotic, terrifying, and deeply tragic. But amid the horror, accounts from survivors have made one thing very clear: many state the pilots did everything possible to prevent an even greater loss of life.