Air Canada Flight Attendant Remained Conscious During Terrifying Ejection in LaGuardia Airport Crash
The daughter of Solange Tremblay, the Air Canada flight attendant who miraculously survived last Sunday's fatal collision at LaGuardia Airport, has revealed that her mother was fully "conscious" as she was violently ejected more than 320 feet from the aircraft. Sarah Lépine, Tremblay's daughter, shared this harrowing detail in a GoFundMe campaign established to support her mother's extensive recovery from multiple severe injuries sustained during the catastrophic incident.
A Miraculous Survival Amidst Tragedy
According to Lépine, Tremblay was found still strapped into her jump seat after sliding across the tarmac following the ejection. "My mom has suffered so much from this event and regrettably her struggles are far from over," Lépine wrote in the fundraising appeal launched on Friday. The campaign includes a photo of Tremblay in a New York City hospital bed, accompanied by her sister, highlighting the family's urgent need for support during this difficult time.
Tremblay served as the senior flight attendant aboard Air Canada Jazz flight 8646 from Montreal, which collided with a Port Authority fire truck that had been permitted to cross the same runway where the CRJ900 jet was instructed to land. The impact occurred at a high rate of speed, crumpling the aircraft's nose into a mangled wreck of metal and wires while sending the fire truck skidding on its side across the ground.
Severe Injuries and Long Road to Recovery
Lépine detailed her mother's extensive injuries, which include:
- Two shattered legs with open fractures requiring multiple surgeries and metal plates for repair
- A fractured spine where surgery may still be necessary
- Skin grafts needed to repair flesh lost while sliding down the tarmac
- A blood transfusion due to complications from initial surgery
The flight attendant remains at risk of infection and will require additional surgeries along with extensive rehabilitation to learn to walk again. "She will be recovering for the foreseeable future," Lépine emphasized, noting that the funds raised will help her and Tremblay's husband, Denis Nicol Jr., take time away from work to provide care at the New York hospital.
Broader Impact of the LaGuardia Crash
The March 23, 2026 collision proved fatal for both pilots—Captain Antoine Forest, 30, and First Officer Mackenzie Gunther, 24. More than half of the 72 passengers sustained injuries, along with two firefighters who were in the emergency vehicle. The crash remains under active investigation by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board as authorities work to determine the exact circumstances that led to this tragic event.
As of early Sunday afternoon, less than 48 hours after its creation, the GoFundMe campaign for Tremblay was approximately $26,000 short of its $160,000 goal. Lépine expressed profound gratitude for any support, writing: "Right now, my mom needs your help. If you can donate it would mean more than I could put into words."
Tremblay, who has spent her career as a flight attendant serving the public with pride, now faces the most challenging journey of her life. Her family's public appeal underscores both the miraculous nature of her survival and the daunting medical challenges that lie ahead as she works toward recovery from this devastating aviation accident.
