[An Air Canada Express flight “experienced a suspected landing gear issue” after arriving at Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Nova Scotia on Saturday night, although no injuries were reported. The flight, which took off from St. John’s, Newfoundland, was operated by partner PAL Airlines and carried 73 passengers. The plane, a De Havilland DHC-8-402, skidded down the runway for a “decent” distance, and passengers reported seeing flames on the aircraft’s left side.
Passenger Nikki Valentine told CNN that the plane shook and there was fire on the left side, with smoke coming in through the windows. The incident echoes a deadly crash-landing at Muan International Airport in South Korea on Sunday morning, where a landing gear malfunction is believed to have contributed to the 179 fatalities.
The airfield was closed for about 90 minutes, and four flights were diverted, while a handful of cancellations and delays occurred. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is investigating the incident and is expected to arrive at the airport later Sunday. The aircraft remains on the runway, and Air Canada is waiting for the TSB to release the aircraft before returning customers’ belongings.
The cause of the suspected landing gear issue is unknown, and the airline has no additional information to provide at this time.
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