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It has now been just over a month since Air Canada Flight AC8646 was involved in a fatal ground collision with a fire truck upon arrival at New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in the US on a service from Montréal Trudeau International Airport (YUL) in Canada. The accident, which involved a Bombardier CRJ900 regional jet operated by Jazz Aviation on behalf of Air Canada Express, sadly resulted in the deaths of both of the plane’s pilots.
Now, Aéroports de Montréal, the operator of Montréal–Trudeau International Airport, has ensured that these two young men will continue to be remembered by erecting a permanent memorial at a popular planespotting location adjacent to the Canadian air hub. Let’s take a look at the story behind this move.
Keeping The Pilots In Memory
As seen in the picture above, and reported by OHS Canada, the memorial comes in the form of a large sign featuring portraits of the two pilots who were on board Air Canada Express flight AC8646 on March 22: 24-year-old Mackenzie Gunther and 30-year-old Antoine Forest. It also features a short dedication in both English and French, along with the date of the accident, the flight number, and an image of an Airbus A330 taking off.
Of course, Montréal Trudeau International Airport is an apt location for the memorial in any case, but the exact spot, in the Jacques-de-Lesseps Park, holds particular relevance. Indeed, according to OHS Canada, Aéroports de Montréal spokesperson Émilie Chevrette explained that this particular park was somewhere that flowers and other tributes had been laid in the aftermath of the tragic accident. She went on to say in a statement that:
“ADM therefore decided to create this permanent memorial to honour these two young men who died while performing their duties and pursuing their passion.”
Erected At A Popular Planespotting Location
Jacques-de-Lesseps Park is located in the Montreal suburb of Dorval, just to the west of the city center, near the northern bank of the St Lawrence River. Readers familiar with Canadian aviation may know that Trudeau International Airport is often known in shorthand as Dorval, due to its location there.
As such, Jacques-de-Lesseps Park serves as a popular planespotting destination, with its location near the southern end of the 9,890-foot (3,014-meter) runway 06R/24L giving local avgeeks an ideal vantage point when it comes to viewing aircraft at the Quebec hub. This makes it a particularly apt memorial location for the two pilots who lost their lives in the crash of flight AC8646, especially given that this is where that service originated.
According to Wander Log, there are various facilities available at the park that help to foster a more enjoyable and comfortable experience for visitors looking to settle in for a stint of planespotting. These include benches and information boards, with the site adding that the “proximity to the airport (…) provides an incredible vantage point for plane spotting, allowing enthusiasts to capture stunning pictures of aircraft in action.” Have you ever been?
“Today We Mourn”: Pilots Of Air Canada Flight 8646 Honored As Bodies Return Home
The return of Captain Antoine Forest and Co-pilot Mackenzie Gunther’s remains to Montreal and Ottawa were met with tributes at the airport.
What’s The Latest With Flight AC8646?
Air Canada Express flight AC8646 collided with a fire truck in New York just before midnight on March 22. In addition to the deaths of the two pilots, 37 of the other 74 occupants (72 passengers and two flight attendants) were injured as a result of the crash, as well as both of the fire truck’s occupants. Most notably, one of the surviving flight attendants was found around 100 meters from the wreckage, having been thrown from the plane in her seat.
With the accident having occurred on US soil, an NTSB team was dispatched to investigate the crash. However, one of these staff members was delayed en route by long airport security lines caused by staff shortages amid a partial government shutdown. Now, a month after the crash, the latest news from the NTSB investigation is that one of the firefighters heard the air traffic controller’s ‘stop’ instruction, but didn’t know who it was for.
