A tragic LaGuardia crash revealed an extraordinary act of heroism — but it’s a deeply personal family tribute that’s now capturing hearts. A childhood photo and emotional message are shedding new light on pilot Antoine Forest.
At first, it sounded like just another frightening aviation incident — but what happened in those final seconds is only now coming into focus.
And behind the headlines, a quiet family tribute is revealing a side of the story few saw coming.
An Airplane. | Source: Getty Images
A Routine Flight Turns Into Chaos
Passengers onboard the ill-fated Jazz Aviation flight say the descent into LaGuardia Airport felt normal — until it suddenly wasn’t.
As reported by The New York Times, a passenger, Rebecca Liquori, seated near an emergency exit, described a jarring shift from calm to chaos in mere moments.
“The pilot was trying to brake to slow the plane down to avoid the crash, and that made, like, just a huge noise,” she said. “I’ve never heard it before. It was like a grinding.”
Seconds later, everything spiraled. “A few seconds after that, you hear the collision, and we just got jolted,” Liquori added. “We got thrown forward. And everybody’s screaming.”
The Split-Second Decisions
As panic swept through the cabin, survivors began to piece together what had just happened — and who was responsible for their survival.
“They did everything they can to save us and they didn’t save themselves and they couldn’t save themselves,” Liquori recalled, a statement that has since echoed across coverage of the tragedy.
Another passenger, Joe Capio, didn’t hesitate to call the crew what many are now repeating: heroes. “They saved everybody on that plane,” Capio said, adding, “I feel terrible about the pilots, and I think they are honestly heroes,” as reported by The Sun.
But while the public focused on the extraordinary actions in the cockpit, a much quieter story was unfolding elsewhere.
A Brother’s Message That Stopped People in Their Tracks
Just a day after the crash, the identity behind one of the cockpit voices began to come into focus.
In a deeply personal Facebook post, Cédric Forest revealed that his brother, Antoine Forest, was among the pilots hailed as heroes. Forest broke his silence in a deeply personal way.
Antoine Forest sits in the cockpit with a headset on, smiling confidently as he grips the controls, capturing a calm, capable presence mid-flight. | Source: Facebook/Antoine Forest
In a March 24 Facebook post, written in French and later translated, Forest shared a childhood photo of the two — an image that instantly shifted the narrative from hero headlines to human heartbreak. Alongside the image, he wrote:
“Have a safe flight, my brother! Oh yes, we’ve often heard that phrase, but this time will be the last. You were coming and going in the wind, always full of new projects in mind. Gone again in the wind too soon to say goodbyeI love you brotheryou can leave with your head held high.”
It wasn’t just the words — it was the image. Two young brothers, frozen in a moment long before aviation, before headlines, before tragedy. The deceased pilot is now being remembered for the decisions he made in seconds — but those closest to him are reminding the world of something else.
In the end, it’s not just the heroism that lingers — it’s the contrast. The same man who calmly fought to save dozens of lives in a cockpit was once just a kid smiling beside his brother in a simple photograph.
But while passengers would later describe the pilots’ final, life-saving decisions, earlier details about the tragedy reveal how a routine emergency quickly spiraled into the devastating chain of events unfolding on the ground.
Antoine Forest sits casually in a classroom, smiling mid-conversation, his relaxed posture and beanie giving the moment an easy, everyday warmth. | Source: Facebook/Antoine Forest
A newly released recording has detailed a horrifying airport emergency, tracing the final minutes before a routine response turned into something far worse.
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 on March 23, 2026, in New York City, New York | 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 on March 23, 2026, in New York City, New York | 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.”
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 an Air Canada plane collided with a fire truck while landing on March 23, 2026, in New York City | 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 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/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 after an Air Canada plane collided with a fire truck while landing on March 23, 2026, in New York City | 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 on March 23, 2026, in New York City | 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, 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 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.
Further updates said 41 passengers and crew members were taken to hospitals, along with two officers who had been inside the ground vehicle, while 32 of those hospitalized have since been released.
A Chaotic Aftermath
Authorities also warned travelers to brace for major disruption around the airport. The New York City Fire Department told the public to expect cancellations, road closures, traffic delays, and a heavy emergency presence near LaGuardia.
The chaos on the ground left stranded travelers trying to make sense of what had happened. In another BBC report, 26-year-old Katie Rojas said her flight to Chicago was already on the runway and prepared to depart when all planes were grounded.
Passengers wait outside Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport following its closure after a deadly runway collision on March 23, 2026, in New York City | Source: Getty Images
“It tried taking off twice and both times literally stopped in its tracks,” she said, explaining that after two and a half hours on board, passengers were told they had to evacuate. She added, “They said there was a smell coming from the plane. I don’t know if that was just something they were saying.”
After returning to the terminal, Rojas said she saw emergency vehicles everywhere and only later learned about the crash online. She was first rebooked for a 7:00 a.m. flight that was also canceled, then placed on a 3:20 p.m. departure, but said security was closed and she had no way to check her bags.
By that point, she had been waiting at the airport for 12 hours, hoping to finally get home. Reflecting on the crash, she said, “It’s scary. You never know if it could have been one of us.”
That context makes the audio even harder to hear. A fast-moving but controlled emergency response ended up with a runway shut down, lives lost, people injured and scared, an airport plunged into chaos, and a recording that now serves as a minute-by-minute account of how everything went wrong.
In the end, what lingers isn’t just the chaos or the chilling timeline — it’s the stark contrast between a routine night that unraveled in minutes and the quiet heroism that emerged from it.
From a cockpit decision that saved lives to a brother’s heartbreaking tribute, this tragedy leaves behind more than questions — it leaves a story people won’t soon forget.