Audio recordings recovered from the cockpit of an Air Canada Express flight have given investigators a detailed timeline of the final three minutes before the aircraft crashed into a fire truck on a runway at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Sunday, March 22, 2026.

The collision claimed the lives of both pilots on Air Canada Express Flight 8646, operated by Jazz Aviation. Passengers have since paid tribute to the crew, describing the two men as “heroes” whose actions they believe helped save lives that night.

Final Moments Captured on Cockpit Voice Recorder

Similar to other reports on the incident—including CCTV footage of the crash, air traffic control audio, and accounts from passengers and a surviving flight attendant—cockpit voice recorder (CVR) data has been instrumental in reconstructing the sequence of events.

At a press conference on Tuesday, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) senior aviation accident investigator Doug Brazy outlined the critical timeline based on the recovered recordings:

3 minutes 7 seconds before impact: Pilots of Flight 8646 were instructed to contact LaGuardia Airport’s control tower.
2 minutes 45 seconds: The aircraft lowered its landing gear.
2 minutes 22 seconds: The flight crew checked in with the LaGuardia tower.
2 minutes 17 seconds: The tower cleared Flight 8646 to land on Runway 4.
1 minute 26 seconds: The plane reached an altitude of 1,000 feet.
1 minute 12 seconds: Pilots confirmed completion of the landing checklist.
1 minute 3 seconds: A vehicle on the airport made a radio transmission that was “stepped on” (interrupted) by an unidentified transmission.
54 seconds: The crew acknowledged descending through 500 feet.
40 seconds: The LaGuardia tower inquired which vehicle needed to cross a runway.
28 seconds: “Truck 1” requested permission to cross LaGuardia’s Runway 4.
20 seconds: The tower cleared Truck 1 to cross the runway.
19 seconds: Flight 8646 reached 100 feet altitude.
9 seconds: The tower ordered Truck 1 to stop.
8 seconds: The aircraft touched down on the runway.
6 seconds: One pilot transferred control of the aircraft to the other.
4 seconds: The tower again instructed Truck 1 to stop.
0 seconds: The recording ended as the collision occurred.

What We Know About the Crash

The incident took place late on the evening of March 22, when the Bombardier CRJ-900 twin-jet aircraft, arriving from Montreal, collided with a Port Authority fire truck on Runway 4 at approximately 11:45 p.m. ET.

Jazz Aviation confirmed that the flight carried 72 passengers and four crew members.

Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia stated at a news conference that the two pilots were confirmed deceased. She added that 41 passengers and crew members were transported to hospital, along with the two firefighters who were inside the struck vehicle. The firefighters remained in stable condition.

One notable survivor was flight attendant Solange Tremblay, who was seated on the jump seat and was ejected from the aircraft during the impact. Her daughter later confirmed that Tremblay survived without life-threatening injuries, describing the outcome as a “miracle.”

Ongoing Investigation

The NTSB investigation is examining several key factors, including:

The speed of the aircraft at the moment of collision,
Staffing levels in the air traffic control tower at the time,
Whether any individuals were ejected from the plane.

All flights at LaGuardia Airport—one of the busiest in the United States—were delayed or cancelled in the immediate aftermath of the crash. Operations have since returned to normal.

Tributes and Condolences

Passengers aboard the flight have credited the pilots’ actions with helping to save lives, calling them heroes.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed his condolences on X (formerly Twitter), stating:

“The collision involving an Air Canada Express aircraft last night in New York that claimed the lives of the pilot and co-pilot, and injured dozens more, is deeply saddening. Canadian officials are working closely with their U.S. counterparts on the ground as the investigation continues. My thoughts are with the victims, their families, and all those impacted.”

The Pilots Identified

The two pilots who lost their lives have been named as Antoine Forest, 30, from Coteau-du-Lac, Québec, and Mackenzie Gunther.

Forest was identified by his family, while Gunther had graduated from Seneca Polytechnic in Toronto in 2023. Flags were flown at half-mast at the institution in his memory. Both men were described as young professionals at the beginning of their aviation careers.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) administrator Bran Bedford remarked:

“These were two young men at the start of their career, so it’s an absolute tragedy that we’re sitting here with their loss.”

The full investigation into the runway incursion and collision continues, with authorities analyzing communications, procedures, and contributing factors at LaGuardia Airport.