A Tribute To The Crew Of Air Canada Flight 8646

On the night of March 22, Air Canada Express Flight AC8646, operated by Jazz Aviation, was approaching the end of what should have been a routine regional flight from Montréal to New York LaGuardia. Instead, the crew would find themselves at the centre of one of the most shocking runway accidents in recent aviation history, and their actions would help prevent a far greater catastrophe. 

The aircraft was a 20-year-old Bombardier CRJ-900 (C-GNJZ), carrying 72 passengers and four crew members. As the aircraft landed on Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport, it collided with an airport rescue and firefighting vehicle at around 23:40 local time, which had been cleared to cross the same runway moments earlier. 

The impact was devastating. The aircraft’s nose and cockpit area were destroyed, and the accident left more than forty passengers and crew injured. Tragically, the two pilots lost their lives. 

Yet despite the horror of the collision, the outcome could have been far worse.

Paying the Ultimate Price

The flight was commanded by Captain Antoine Forest, alongside First Officer Mackenzie Gunther. Both were experienced professional aviators employed by Jazz Aviation. 

Investigators examining the cockpit voice and flight data recorders from Air Canada Express Flight 8646 have revealed an important detail about the flight’s final moments. According to early investigative reporting, Captain Antoine Forest took control of the aircraft approximately six seconds before the collision with the airport rescue vehicle on the runway at LaGuardia Airport. In airline operations, such a transfer of control is a standard procedure when a captain needs to intervene during a critical phase of flight.

Exactly what prompted the takeover is still under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. One possibility discussed by aviation analysts is that the captain may have spotted the fire truck on the runway during the landing roll, prompting an immediate reaction. At that point, however, the aircraft would have been travelling at high speed and only seconds from impact, leaving almost no time to avoid the collision entirely.

While the investigation is ongoing, some aviation safety experts believe the captain’s actions in those final seconds may still have made a difference. Despite the catastrophic destruction of the cockpit area, the aircraft’s passenger cabin remained largely intact, and every passenger survived the crash. Whether through braking, directional control, or simply stabilising the aircraft during the impact sequence, the decisive actions taken in those final seconds may have helped preserve the survivable space inside the aircraft.

Indeed, the aftermath, many passengers and investigators credited the pilots’ final actions with helping save lives. According to reports, their control of the aircraft during the landing sequence meant that the aircraft remained largely intact behind the destroyed cockpit section, allowing passengers and crew in the cabin to survive the crash. For the passengers who walked away from the wreckage, that professionalism and discipline likely made the difference between a tragic accident and an even greater loss of life.

The Pilots

Captain Antoine Forest (30) was from Coteau-du-Lac, Quebec, and his death sparked an outpouring of grief in his hometown. Canadian Press reporting said city hall received condolences from across the region and beyond, while a social media tribute from Quebec’s forest-fire prevention service noted that Forest had previously worked as a spotter pilot and was remembered as highly professional and well-liked.

First Officer Mackenzie Gunther (24) was publicly mourned by Seneca College, which said he graduated from its Honours Bachelor of Aviation Technology program in 2023 and joined Jazz Aviation through the Jazz Aviation Pathways Program, beginning his professional flying career straight after graduation. That detail makes the loss feel even sharper: a young pilot at the start of what should have been a long career.

During the repatriation of their bodies, pilots carried Gunther’s casket in Ottawa before Forest’s body continued to Montréal. At the same time, hundreds of pilots and airline staff gathered in the rain to pay their respects. ALPA likewise described uniformed pilots lining up in multiple cities to honour both aviators.

The Flight Attendants

Among the flight attendants on AC8646 was veteran Solange Tremblay, who had served in aviation for over two decades. Sated on the forward crew seat, just behind the flight deck, Solange was thrown more than 100 metres from the aircraft while still strapped into her jump seat, sustaining severe injuries yet miraculously surviving.

Her daughter, Sarah Lepine, has since spoken about her mother’s injuries, confirming that she sustained multiple open fractures to her legs and a fracture to her spine, which have required several surgeries.

A GoFundMe page was quickly set up to support her recovery and has so far raised almost $240,000. In a statement on the website, Lepine said, “My mother dedicated her entire life as a flight attendant, and was very proud of her work. She loved serving the public and helping them travel safely from their respective destinations.”

The second crew member was François Grenier. He too was injured in the crash and another GoFundMe page has been set up which has since raised over C$30,000.

A Tragedy That Shook the Aviation World

The crash immediately prompted investigations by U.S. aviation authorities and raised urgent questions about runway safety, air-traffic control procedures, and airport emergency coordination.

The investigation is ongoing, but several early details help explain why this crash has triggered such intense scrutiny. Reuters reported that the fire truck lacked a transponder that would have shown its location to air traffic control, and that NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said the airport’s ground surveillance system did not generate an alert before the collision. Reuters also reported that two controllers were on duty in the tower at the time.

Flightradar24, drawing on recorded air traffic control audio, reported that the rescue vehicle had been cleared to cross Runway 4, and that the tower controller can be heard telling “Truck 1” to stop multiple times before the impact. Reuters later added reporting from current and former controllers who said traffic that night was heavier than usual, raising questions about staffing and workload. 

Yet amid the investigations and headlines, one fact remains clear: every passenger on board survived.

In a disaster that could easily have become far deadlier, that outcome speaks volumes about the professionalism of the crew.

Remembering the Human Side of Aviation

Aviation is built on layers of safety, technology, and regulation. But at its heart are people — pilots and cabin crew who dedicate their lives to safely carrying strangers across continents and oceans.

Captain Antoine Forest and First Officer Mackenzie Gunther never returned home from Flight 8646. They are remembered not only for their loss but for the professionalism they demonstrated until the very end.

The surviving crew members, including those seriously injured, showed extraordinary resilience in the face of a catastrophic event.

© Confessions of a Trolley Dolly