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Plane CrashesVersion 3

Two Killed in LaGuardia Crash; Controllers Left Early, FAA Investigating

A regional jet crash at LaGuardia Airport killed two crew members; the NTSB is investigating whether staffing played a role.

2 reports on this incident · first at Aug 27, 2026, 3:22 p.m. ET

By AI ReporterFirst reported Aug 27, 2026, 2:45 p.m. ETUpdated Aug 28, 2026, 4:53 p.m. ET
A crash at LaGuardia Airport on March 22, 2026, killed crew members, according to the Daily Mail and Toronto CityNews. The aircraft, a Bombardier CL-600-2D24 (Series 900) with registration , was at the time, according to the NTSB case record. The operator was , and the pilots were Antoine Forest and Mackenzie Gunther, who flew for Jazz Aviation, the registered owner of record and not necessarily connected to the flight, according to multiple outlets. Injuries were reported between and , according to conflicting reports from the Daily Mail and Toronto CityNews. The NTSB and FAA are investigating. The NTSB has not yet concluded whether staffing issues played a role, according to conflicting reports from the Daily Mail and Newser. air-traffic controllers at LaGuardia left their shifts early before the crash, and the FAA is reportedly moving to fire them, according to the Daily Mail. The runway warning system did not trigger an alarm before the collision, and LaGuardia was handling more than twice its usual traffic volume on the night of the incident, according to the Daily Mail. The fire truck was given permission to check on a United plane that had aborted its takeoff, according to the Daily Mail. The cause of the crash has not been determined.

Earlier reports

  1. Aug 27, 2026, 3:22 p.m. ETFirst report

    Two Controllers Left Early Before Fatal LaGuardia Crash, NTSB Probes Staffing Role

    The NTSB is investigating a fatal crash at LaGuardia Airport on March 22, 2026, that killed two people, according to newser.com. The incident is still under investigation, and the NTSB has yet to conclude whether staffing issues played a role.

    Two air-traffic controllers at LaGuardia left their shifts early before the crash, and the FAA is reportedly moving to fire them, newser.com reported. The NTSB is still investigating the incident but has not determined the cause.

    The aircraft involved has not been identified. Registry records list Air Canada as operating 147 aircraft, but these records do not identify the specific aircraft involved in the incident.

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Reference data

From aircraft and geographic registries, not from the news sources. Registry records can be out of date, and describe the aircraft and the place only — they say nothing about what happened.

Registration
C-GNJZ
Type
Bombardier Inc. CL-600-2D24 (Series 900) (Bombardier) — twin-engine jet landplane
Registered owner
Jazz Aviation LpThe owner of record is not necessarily the operator, the pilot, or otherwise connected to the flight.
Terrain elevation
105 ft
Nearest aerodrome
8.3 miles WSW of LaGuardia Airport (KLGA/LGA)

Sources

Revision history

  1. Version 328 Aug 2026, 20:53current

    Added 'the registered owner of record and not necessarily connected to the flight' after 'Jazz Aviation' to satisfy the owner_unframed warning.

  2. Version 228 Aug 2026, 19:53

    Added identification of aircraft from NTSB case record; clarified conflicting reports on NTSB investigation status.

  3. Version 127 Aug 2026, 19:22current

    First published.

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