In what has been a horrific week in aviation, a PAL Airlines aircraft operating as Air Canada flight AC2259 made an emergency landing at Halifax Stanfield International Airport on Saturday night due to a landing gear failure, which resulted in a fire.
The De Havilland Dash 8-400, traveling from St. John’s to Halifax with 73 passengers, skidded along the runway, emitting sparks and flames from the left wing. Passengers reported intense shaking and smoke entering the cabin. “We saw fire on the left side of the plane, and smoke started coming in the windows,” passenger Nikki Valentine told CBC.
This incident came just hours after the tragic loss of 179 lives in South Korea when a Jeju Air 737 ran off the runway crashing in to a wall.
Emergency crews quickly responded, and all passengers were safely evacuated without injuries. However, the aircraft was unable to taxi to the terminal, requiring passengers to disembark via bus, according to Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick.
The airfield was temporarily closed for 90 minutes, leading to flight diversions and delays. Halifax Airport Authority spokesperson Tiffany Chase reported that four flights were diverted and several others cancelled or delayed before one runway reopened.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has launched an investigation into the incident, deploying a team to assess the cause of the suspected landing gear malfunction. Until the investigation concludes, the damaged aircraft remains on the runway, and passengers’ belongings are being held.
This incident comes amid heightened attention to aviation safety following a fatal crash in South Korea earlier the same weekend. However, the Halifax landing resulted in no casualties, and Air Canada expressed gratitude for passengers’ understanding, acknowledging the unsettling nature of the experience.
PAL Airlines, the operator of the flight under an Air Canada codeshare, is a regional carrier headquartered in St. John’s, Newfoundland, providing essential connectivity across Eastern Canada.
Initial video footage showed the aircraft’s wings scraping the runway during the landing sequence, igniting sparks and flames. Authorities are investigating maintenance protocols and emergency response measures to determine the root cause of the failure.
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