Pilots killed in LaGuardia runway crash being transported to Canada
The bodies of the two pilots killed when an Air Canada plane collided with a Port Authority of New York and New Jersey fire-rescue truck on a LaGuardia Airport runway on Sunday night were to be transported back to Canada on Wednesday.
They were taken to a funeral home in Queens in the morning and were to be flown to their homeland later in the day.
This comes as the National Transportation Safety Board continues investigating the deadly collision, which also injured dozens. Four passengers and crew members from the flight remain hospitalized, along with one of the two firefighters from the rescue vehicle.
Crews removed the Air Canada jet and the Port Authority truck on Wednesday, but the runway is still closed
In a statement, a Port Authority spokesperson said, in part, "With the removal of the plane and truck, we are reviewing the condition of the runway to ensure it meets FAA regulations and can be re-opened safely. We are working to have it operational no later than Friday morning."
Port Authority added the truck has been "moved to a secure location as evidence for the continuing NTSB investigation."
Canadian pilots identified
The pilot and co-pilot, or first officer, of Flight 8646 have been identified as Antoine Forest, 30, a native of Quebec, and Mackenzie Gunther, officials announced Tuesday.
"These were two young men at the start of their careers," Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Brian Bedford told reporters Monday. "It's an absolute tragedy that we're sitting here with their loss."
Forest's aunt told The Associated Press that he always wanted to be a pilot. His LinkedIn page showed he worked for two airlines over the past five years.
Gunther's alma mater, Seneca Polytechnic, said in a statement that he graduated in 2023 and joined Air Canada's training program, the Jazz Aviation Pathways Program, immediately after.
Latest on the investigation into LaGuardia collision
In an interview on CNN, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said they interviewed the air traffic controller who was directing traffic during the crash late Tuesday night. Additional interviews were conducted Wednesday.
"The initial questions are usually focused on, what was going on in the tower at the time? Who came off duty? When people came off duty," she said. "We start to build a timeline, and then dig into each of those questions to find out more."
As the NTSB and FAA continue their investigation, CBS News senior transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave reviewed reports going back three decades that highlighted complaints from pilots and airport employees at LaGuardia regarding close calls and miscommunications.
The NTSB is looking into air controller staffing, possible fatigue variables, and technological failsafes that did not prevent this tragedy.
