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One of the pilots who lost his life in the crash at LaGuardia Airport was a 30-year-old from Quebec who was deeply passionate about aviation—so much so that he learned English to improve his chances of building a flying career.
“He flew his first plane when he was 16 years old,” his grieving great-aunt, Jeannette Gagnier, told the Toronto Star on Monday about her great-nephew, Antoine Forest.
“He was always taking courses and flying. He never stopped,” she said, adding, “It’s a very bad day for me.”
Forest and another pilot were the only fatalities in Sunday night’s horror Queens accident, which occurred when their Air Canada jet plowed into a Port Authority fire truck racing to the aid of another plane in trouble nearby.
The other dead pilot has yet to be publicly identified.
“These were two young men at the start of their careers, so it’s an absolute tragedy that we’re sitting here with their loss,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said at an afternoon press conference.
Forest was listed as a first officer for Jazz Aviation, which was operating the doomed flight, since December 2022, according to a LinkedIn profile under his name.
Gagnier told the Star that Forest, a Coteau-du-Lac, Quebec native, and his younger brother would spend the summers with her and her husband in Hawkesbury.
When Forest was in high school, he worked to learn more English so he could increase his prospects at being a pilot, she said.
The young pilot and his cockpit colleague died when the Port Authority cops were cleared to drive their fire truck across the runway — at the same time the Air Canada jet had been given the go-ahead to land there.
About 40 of the 70 Air Canada passengers and surviving crew members were taken to the hospital, with many suffering only minor injuries. Most victims were released by Monday morning.
The Air Line Pilots Association remembered the two pilots as being dedicated to their passengers’ safety.
“The loss of our two fellow crewmembers onboard Flight 8646 is a profound tragedy,” union President Jason Ambrosi said in a statement.
The pilots worked for Jazz Aviation LP, which was operating as Air Canada Express, according to the company.
“Today is an incredibly difficult day for our airline, our employees, and most importantly, the families and loved ones of those affected by the accident involving flight 8646,” said Jazz Aviation President Doug Clarke.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of our two pilots and our unwavering support to those who have been injured.”
