New memorial at Montreal airport honours Canadian pilots killed in LaGuardia crash

A permanent memorial installed at Jacques-de-Lesseps Park, near the runways at Montreal-Trudeau International Airport, pays tribute to Capt. Antoine Forest, left, and First Officer Mackenzie Gunther, who were both killed when their plane crashed into a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport on March 22, 2026. (CTV News/Aéroports de Montréal)

A new memorial has been installed at the Montreal-Trudeau International Airport to honour the lives of two Air Canada pilots who were killed in a collision at New York’s LaGuardia Airport last month.

Capt. Antoine Forest, 30, and First Officer Mackenzie Gunther, 24, died in the crash on the runway after colliding with a fire truck that was given clearance to respond to an incident involving another aircraft.

More than 40 others were injured in the crash, including the two firefighters in the truck.

“After the tragic accident at LaGuardia, people spontaneously gathered at Jacques-de-Lesseps Park, which is located on [airport] property across from the runways at YUL. A community of aviation enthusiasts gathered there to honour the two pilots, laying flowers and other tributes,” Émilie Chevrette, a spokesperson for the Montreal airport authority (ADM), told CTV News on Saturday.

The airport authority then decided to install a permanent memorial at the park on April 15, just feet away from where flight AC8646, operated by Jazz Aviation, took off en route to New York City on March 22, 2026. Jacques-de-Lesseps Observatory Park is a popular gathering place for plane spotters that has bleachers and benches for visitors.

The plaque reads: “To these two men who lost their lives while performing their duties and pursuing their passion.”

Forest was a Quebecer whose hometown of Coteau-du-Lac, southwest of Montreal, received an outpouring of condolences after his death.

Gunther, from Peterborough, Ont., was a 2023 alumnus of Toronto’s Seneca Polytechnic, who joined Jazz Aviation soon after graduating from its aviation technology program. An online obituary said he is survived by his grandfather, Bruce Mackenzie, who introduced him to the aviation world.

A preliminary report released last week by the U.S. Transportation Safety Board cited a number of failures that led to the fatal crash, including overworked air traffic controllers at LaGuardia Airport, a lack of a transponder on the fire truck allowing it to be tracked by the control tower, and the fire truck’s turret operator said he didn’t know who the words “Stop, stop, stop, stop!” over the radio were meant for until it was too late.

Related stories:

• ‘It’s important to say their names’: American passenger thanks Canadian pilots after fatal runway crash
• ‘We couldn’t hold back our tears’: Former Air Canada Jazz pilot pays respects to Antoine Forest
• Hometown mourns Quebec pilot Antoine Forest, who died in LaGuardia crash
• Controllers say LaGuardia needed more staff on busy night of Air Canada collision

With files from The Associated Press