Over 40 Passengers Were Hospitalized As A Result Of The Crash

Every day, LaGuardia Airport in New York City, New York, has an average of 900 arriving and departing flights.

However, regular traffic at LaGuardia has been shut down on Monday, March 23, following a crash at the airport.

At approximately 11:40 p.m. on Sunday, March 22, a jet collided with a firetruck as it was making its landing on the runway at LaGuardia Airport in New York City, New York.

The jet, from Air Canada, had 72 passengers and four crew members on board, with both the pilot and the co-pilot dying in the crash.

The identities of both the pilot and co-pilot were disclosed to the public on Tuesday, March 24, with Mackenzie Gunther serving as the first officer, and Antoine Forest serving as the pilot.

Noting they were “two young men at the start of their careers,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said during a March 23 news conference, “It’s an absolute tragedy that we’re sitting here with their loss. My heart really goes out to their families.”

Additionally, 41 passengers were hospitalized, according to Kathryn Garcia, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, as quoted by The New York Times.

As of early Monday, March 23, a total of 32 of the injured passengers were released from the hospital. Others remain, receiving care for more serious injuries.

This crash closed LaGuardia Airport, putting flights at a ground stop until just after 2 p.m.

As of the evening of March 23, LaGuardia is open, with flights resuming. However, the runway that this crash occurred on is expected to remain closed through Friday, March 27.

Authorities Respond To The Crash

Investigating the crash is the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as well as the National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB), the latter of which is helmed by Sec. Sean Duffy.

It remains unclear whether staffing shortages from the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown contributed to this crash.

NBC News reported excerpts from air traffic control at LaGuardia, with audio including a call for the firetruck to stop on the runway: “Truck one, stop.”

Shortly after the crash, an air traffic controller said, “[That] wasn’t good to watch.”

Replying, a controller stated, “Yeah, I know I was here. I tried to reach out … we were dealing with an emergency earlier. I messed up.”

The other controller can the be heard saying, “Nah, man, you did the best you could.”

Responding to the crash, Sec. Duffy shared this harrowing image of the wreckage:

Noting that Canada was working closely with the United States in the investigation, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney described the crash as “deeply saddening” in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

His full post may be viewed, here:

A news conference on the LaGuardia Airport crash from the morning of March 23 may be viewed, here: