Long before his name was tied to one of the most heartbreaking aviation stories of the year, Antoine Forest had shared a glimpse of the world as he saw it from above. Now that quiet moment is taking on an especially devastating new meaning.
On March 23, 2026, the chilling timeline surrounding the LaGuardia Airport collision involving an Air Canada flight and an emergency truck was revealed.
What started as an onboard odor complaint in the late hours of Sunday, March 22, quickly spiraled into a deadly runway incident, and the audio only makes it more unsettling.
Passenger plane collides with a fire truck while landing at LaGuardia Airport in New York City, New York on March 23, 2026. | Source: Getty Images
A Routine Problem Turned Urgent
According to an NBC New York report, the trouble began when Flight 2384 declared an emergency after flight attendants in the back of the aircraft reportedly became sick because of an odd smell.
The urgency comes through almost immediately in the transcript of the recording. At 1:35, a voice says, “2384 is declaring an emergency. Flight Attendants in the back are feeling ill because of the odor. We will need to go into any available gates at this time.”
An Air Canada Express plane sits on the tarmac after colliding with a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport on March 23, 2026, in New York City. | Source: YouTube/KHOU 11
That request did not appear to have an easy solution. Just seconds later, the discussion turned to finding space for the aircraft, with one line making clear the situation was already getting complicated.
At 1:55, someone is heard asking, “Do you guys have any gate for United? Because now it’s declaring an emergency, they want to get out.”
Then at 3:04, the pressure seemed to build even more:
“Hey, I’ll say it again, LaGuardia. Now that United says he needs a gate, but so now he’s declaring an emergency, but the ramp doesn’t have a gate for him.”
The Tension Kept Building on the Ground
As responders worked to manage the situation, the transcript shows preparations being made in case passengers needed to get off the plane without a gate.
At 3:19, one person says, “We can get a sand truck if you need them to get off the plane.” Just moments later came the response: “Okay, yeah, yeah, do that just in case they want to come off.”
Passenger plane collides with a fire truck while landing at LaGuardia Airport. | Source: Getty Images
Even then, the crew seemed to prefer waiting rather than rushing into an evacuation. The ground crew later messaged the aircraft at 3:35 to explain that the ramp lacked an available gate. The dispatcher added that they were contacting the Port Authority to find an alternative solution.
That was followed by another update at 3:43:
“And the fire trucks are over there. They’re gonna bring a stair up, just in case you guys do want to evacuate. Let me know if you do.”
The flight crew responded almost instantly, highlighting the urgent need for a resolution. At 3:48, they confirmed their preference to wait for an available gate but warned that their time was running out due to a persistent smell at the rear of the cabin.
The Final Moments Before Impact
As the minutes passed, the audio became even more striking because it captured how normal communication suddenly gave way to confusion.
At 6:25, the aircraft asked again, “2384, Do you have a gate available at this time? Otherwise, we will be probably requesting gears here [sic].”
At 6:31, the dispatcher asked the crew for a brief moment to coordinate further. The situation then changed as the teams began coordinating the arrival.
At 6:45, someone asked whether the emergency vehicles were using the ground or tower radio channel. Less than 30 seconds later, the tower cleared flight 2384 to enter lane eight for gate 41.
The accident site is seen at LaGuardia Airport after the Air Canada plane collided with the fire truck. | Source: Getty Images
By 7:03, the crew received orders to head to the ramp and briefly confirmed they were moving in.
And then the transcript reaches the moment that now stands out the most.
At 7:10, “Truck 1” is heard. Seven seconds later comes a blunt warning: “Truck 1, stop.” The next moments can’t be heard clearly.
Emergency personnel around the tarmac. | Source: YouTube/KHOU 11
That abrupt sequence is what makes the audio so haunting. It captures the final attempt to halt the truck before the recording drops into confusion.
What Happened After the Collision
When the audio resumes, the tone has completely changed. The calm rhythm of instructions is gone, replaced by the stunned language of people reacting to something they had just seen unfold.
At 10:16, one voice says, “We’re holding here.”
The accident site is seen at LaGuardia Airport. | Source: Getty Images
A second later comes the explanation:
“Alright, there’s an incident on the field.”
The reply says it all:
“Yeah, we saw it, man.”
Emergency responders work at the scene where an Air Canada Express CRJ-900 sits on the runway after colliding with a Port Authority fire truck at LaGuardia Airport. | Source: Getty Images
From there, operations appear to grind to a halt. By 11:42, the recording says that the airport had shut down due to an active incident on the field. The dispatcher told the crew to wait and check back in ten minutes.
The shutdown continued well beyond the immediate aftermath. At 18:08, another message states, “We’re not moving aircraft right now, all right. When I have more for you, I will reach out. I don’t know, just call the tower, and we’ll figure it out. This could have been a big incident.”
But the most devastating exchange comes near the end of the recording, when the emotional weight of what happened seems to land in full.
Port Authority representative gives press conference after an An Air Canada Express plane colliding with a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport on March 23, 2026, in New York City. | Source: YouTube/NBC New York
At 25:26, one person mentioned that they were already working on the situation and commented on how difficult it was to watch.
Five seconds later, at 25:31, another voice says, “Yeah, I know I was here. I tried to reach out to my stuff [sic], and we were dealing with an emergency earlier. I messed up.”
The response, just seconds later, is the line that lingers: “No man, you did the best you could.”
The Scene Left Behind
The outlet also reported that footage from the scene showed the emergency firetruck crushed up against the nose of the plane.
More details from BBC live said the aircraft, carrying 72 passengers and four crew members, had arrived from Montreal on Sunday evening and was traveling at about 24 mph.
A separate BBC update laid out the broader sequence of events. According to that timeline, the Air Canada flight departed Montreal at 10:12 p.m. ET, more than two hours behind schedule.
Minutes before 11:40 p.m., a Port Authority rescue and firefighting vehicle was dispatched to assist with a separate issue involving a plane at LaGuardia that had requested support. At about that same time, the aircraft collided with the truck on the ground while landing.
Port Authority representative gives press conference after an An Air Canada Express plane colliding with a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport on March 23, 2026, in New York City. | Source: YouTube/NBC New York
Emergency crews responded right away after the impact. By 3:09 a.m., LaGuardia said the airport was closed because of the incident, and around 3:30 a.m., the first portion of the National Transportation Safety Board team arrived.
At 4:48 a.m., Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia said two Air Canada pilots had died, and nine people remained in the hospital. Two Port Authority police officers were also badly injured.
Port Authority representative gives press conference after an An Air Canada Express plane colliding with a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport on March 23, 2026, in New York City. | Source: YouTube/NBC New York
Additionally, she said the airport would stay closed until at least 2:00 p.m. local time so investigators could continue processing the scene. Federal and local investigations are now underway.
A Sudden and Devastating Loss
In the days since the devastating LaGuardia crash, one detail after another has made the story even more emotional. And just when it seemed the public heartbreak could not deepen, an old Instagram post from pilot Antoine Forest began drawing fresh attention online.
As reported by CBC, Forest was identified as one of the pilots killed in the Sunday night crash at New York’s LaGuardia airport. The outlet reported that the Quebec resident was from Coteau-du-Lac, southwest of Montreal, and had been working for Jazz Aviation since December 2022.
Antoine Foster smiling for a photo in an aircraft, posted on August 11, 2019. | Source: Facebook/Antoine Forest
Forest was the captain, while Mackenzie Gunther was the first officer. The Air Canada Express CRJ-900, operated by Jazz Aviation, had been traveling from Montreal to New York with 72 passengers and four crew members on board, and 41 people were taken to the hospital following the crash.
What Passengers Remember Most About Those Final Moments
The aftermath was chaotic, terrifying, and deeply tragic. But amid the horror, accounts from survivors have made one thing very clear: many state the pilots did everything possible to prevent an even greater loss of life.
One passenger, Ms. Liquori, told The New York Times that once she got off the plane, she understood the scale of what had happened. Her words were devastating and direct:
“They did everything they can to save us and they didn’t save themselves and they couldn’t save themselves [sic].”
Liquori continued, “Every time I close my eyes, my heart is racing, I just hear screaming.” It is the kind of quote that stays with you, especially as more is learned about the people in the cockpit.
Passengers wait outside Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport following its closure after a deadly runway collision in New York City in March 2026. | Source: Getty Images
Another passenger echoed that same feeling while speaking to The Sun. “I feel terrible about the pilots and [sic] I think they are honestly heroes,” he said.
He added, “The pilots greeted us and were very nice. They saved everybody on that plane.” That sentiment — heroism, calm, sacrifice — has become central to how many are remembering Forest.
And that is part of why an older social media post of his has suddenly taken on a much heavier meaning. It is not just that he was a pilot; it is that the image appears to capture exactly why flying mattered to him in the first place.
A Personal Glimpse That Feels Different Now
In his Instagram post from October 2014, Forest shared a striking view from an aircraft in flight. The photo shows the bright white wing and engine of a plane cutting across a vast landscape below, with a deep blue sky stretching endlessly overhead.
The terrain beneath appears blanketed in autumn colors, giving the shot an almost cinematic quality. It is the kind of image that instantly makes you understand the pull of aviation: the freedom, the altitude, the beauty, the perspective.
Then came the caption, simple but suddenly heartbreaking in light of everything that followed. Forest wrote: “Why I want to be a pilot? Reasons no.5 and 14 #falls#twins.”
It is a short message, but one that has resonated powerfully after the crash. What may once have read like a casual, joyful reflection now feels like a deeply personal window into what he loved most about flying.
There is something especially emotional about the contrast. On one side is the public memory of the final flight — fear, impact, survival, loss — and on the other is this serene image of the sky, posted by a man who clearly saw aviation as something awe-inspiring.
That is likely why so many people have been drawn back to the post. Since news of the crash spread, many netizens have filled the comment section with messages of condolence, turning the old upload into a quiet memorial.
CBC also noted that Forest’s Facebook page included photos of him enjoying hiking, kayaking, sailing, and climbing. Even away from the cockpit, it seems he was someone who gravitated toward adventure, movement, and the outdoors.
Antoine Foster kayaking and smiling for the camera, posted on August 22, 2016. | Source: Facebook/Antoine Foster
His hometown community has also been mourning. On the city’s Facebook page, Coteau-du-Lac and members of the municipal council offered their “sincerest condolences to his family, loved ones and friends,” adding that they wished them comfort during this difficult time.
Taken together, the tributes, survivor accounts, and that resurfaced Instagram image create a portrait that feels painfully human. Not just a pilot in a headline, but a man who seemed to genuinely love the sky he worked in.
And perhaps that is why the 2014 post is now hitting so many people so hard. Long before the world knew his name, Forest had already shared a photo that said everything…he did not just fly planes, he felt flying.
At this time, we wish to extend our most heartfelt condolences to Forest’s entire family, loved ones, friends, community, and all who knew and loved him as they mourn such a significant loss. We also extend our condolences to the loved ones of the other life that was lost and hope for their healing. RIP, dear Forest and Gunther.