Who were Mackenzie Gunther and Antoine Forest, the pilots killed in Air Canada crash at LaGuardia?

Two young pilots have been identified following a fatal Air Canada Express crash at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, including Mackenzie Gunther, as investigations continue into the incident.

Antoine Forest and MacKenzie Gunther were killed when their aircraft collided with an emergency vehicle on the runway late Sunday, according to family members and media reports.

The flight, travelling from Montreal, was carrying more than 70 passengers.

US Federal Aviation Administration administrator Bryan Bedford described them as "two young men at the start of their careers," according to official remarks.

Several passengers were injured, though 32 people were later released from hospital, officials said.

One passenger, Clement Lelievre, credited the pilots’ actions with preventing a greater tragedy, describing their “incredible reflexes” during the landing.

Forest, who grew up in Quebec, had pursued aviation from a young age. His great aunt, Jeannette Gagnier, told the Toronto Star: “He was always taking courses and flying. He never stopped,” adding: “He flew his first plane when he was 16 years old.”

Gunther was also a Canadian-based pilot building his career in regional aviation and was serving as first officer on the flight, according to CBC News via Radio-Canada.

The crash destroyed the front of the aircraft, and investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board are leading the inquiry, with support from Canadian authorities.

Officials say the cause of the collision remains under investigation.