No Injuries Reported as Passengers Evacuated Following Incident
An Air Canada Express flight faced a landing gear issue upon arrival at Halifax Stanfield International Airport on Saturday night, causing the aircraft to skid down the runway. No injuries were reported among the 73 passengers on board.
Flight AC2259, operated by PAL Airlines, had departed from St. John’s, Newfoundland, before experiencing the issue. Passengers were evacuated via bus as the plane was unable to taxi to the terminal, Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick confirmed.
Eyewitness Accounts
Passenger Nikki Valentine described a frightening scene: “The plane shook quite a bit, and we started seeing fire on the left side of the plane. Smoke started coming in the windows.”
The aircraft involved was a De Havilland DHC-8-402, according to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.
Airport Disruption
The incident led to a 90-minute closure of the airfield, causing four flight diversions and several cancellations and delays, said Tiffany Chase, spokesperson for the Halifax International Airport Authority. One of the airport’s two runways has since been reopened, though the aircraft remains on the other runway pending investigation.
Investigation Underway
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has deployed a team of investigators to determine the cause of the suspected landing gear malfunction. Air Canada, citing respect for the investigative process, refrained from speculating about the issue.
“We appreciate this incident was unsettling for customers and remain available to assist them,” Air Canada said in a statement.
The Halifax incident comes on the heels of a far deadlier aviation disaster in South Korea, where a Jeju Air flight crash-landed on Sunday morning, killing 179 people. Preliminary findings in that case also point to a landing gear malfunction.
