The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is currently investigating a plane landing accident at Halifax Stanfield International Airport. Passengers stated that the plane experienced a turbulent landing, leading to a fire. Fortunately, all passengers and crew onboard were unharmed.
On Saturday night, during the landing of an Air Canada Express flight at the airport, there seemed to be an issue with the landing gear, as passenger Nikki Valentine described feeling a “huge roar” upon landing.
Valentine told the Associated Press on Sunday, “The cabin tilted, sparks flew, and then flames burst out, followed by smoke being sucked into the cabin.”
Airport spokesperson Tiffany Chase mentioned that the incident involved Flight AC2259 departing from Canada’s Saint John International Airport, preparing to land around 9:30 p.m. due to a mechanical problem that prevented the landing gear from fully extending, thus unable to reach the terminal building.
Air Canada Express is a regional airline brand under Air Canada specializing in regional flights. Reports indicated that the flight involved in the incident was operated by a partner airline, PAL Airlines.
Peter Fitzpatrick, spokesperson for Air Canada Express, stated that the crew and 73 passengers safely reached the terminal by bus without any injuries.
The incident led to a temporary halt in airport operations.
Chase stated that the airport was closed for approximately 90 minutes, with one of the two runways being evacuated for emergency purposes to facilitate airplane takeoffs and landings.
During the airport closure, she added, “Four flights were diverted and some flights were canceled or delayed.”
As of Sunday afternoon, Valentine and other passengers had yet to receive their luggage that they were asked to leave on the plane. Valentine mentioned that she contacted Air Canada Express, and the airline informed her that due to the ongoing investigation, their luggage might take up to three days to be returned.
“Many people are missing essential items like house keys or wallets,” she said, “It’s the right procedure, of course. I’d rather endure the inconvenience of lost luggage than anything bad happening, but it’s still very difficult.”
While the landing accident occurred in Halifax, an even more serious incident had previously taken place in South Korea. A Jeju Air plane crashed, with only 2 survivors among the 181 people onboard. The cause of the crash remains uncertain, with some officials and aviation experts suggesting it might have been due to landing gear failure.
Moreover, on Saturday night local time in the Netherlands, a Boeing 737-800 aircraft of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines experienced hydraulic issues shortly after takeoff. The crew opted for an emergency landing at Torp Sandefjord Airport in Oslo, Norway. The plane veered to the right upon landing, skidding off the runway and into the grass. Thankfully, there were no reports of injuries among the 182 individuals onboard.