Pilots killed in LaGuardia Airport crash identified: What we know

(NewsNation) — The two pilots killed when an Air Canada jet collided with a fire truck at New York's LaGuardia airport late Sunday have been identified. Antoine Forest had always wanted to be a pilot, a relative confirmed to the Associated Press. Forest's co-pilot, Mackenzie Gunther, was also killed in the crash, according to his college, Ontario-based Seneca Polytechnic. "Seneca mourns the loss of alumnus Mackenzie Gunther in the aviation accident at LaGuardia Airport in New York yesterday," the college said in a statement: "Seneca sends our deepest condolences to Mr. Gunther’s family and friends, and to his former colleagues and professors. He will be deeply missed." Gunther was part of the school's Jazz Aviation Pathways Program and began working at the regional airline based in Canada shortly after graduating. Seneca announced it would lower its flags to half-staff on Tuesday in Gunther's honor. FAA administrator Bryan Bedford described the pilots as "two young men at the start of their careers" during a Monday news briefing. "It’s an absolute tragedy that we’re sitting here with their loss," he added. "My heart really goes out to their families." Around 11:30 p.m. local time Sunday, Air Canada flight AC8646 from Montreal — a CRJ-900 plane — collided with a Port Authority firefighting vehicle, which was crossing the tarmac to help another craft. There were 72 passengers and four crew members, including Forest and Gunther, on board. More than three dozen passengers were taken to the hospital after the incident, along with two firefighters who were in the truck. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on Monday said “dozens of New Yorkers were injured” in the incident. Many of those hospitalized have since been released, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.