Air Canada flight lands safely after emergency at Halifax airport

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Air Canada flight lands safely after emergency at Halifax airport

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By Sky Industry News

Dec 29, 2024

A PAL Airlines aircraft operating as Air Canada flight AC2259 experienced a landing gear failure, leading to an emergency landing at Halifax Stanfield International Airport on Saturday night. The De Havilland Dash 8-400, traveling from St. John’s to Halifax with 73 passengers, skidded along the runway with sparks and flames visible 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.

Emergency crews responded quickly, ensuring all passengers were safely evacuated without injuries. However, the aircraft could not taxi to the terminal, requiring passengers to disembark via bus. This was confirmed by Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick.

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The incident temporarily closed the airfield for 90 minutes, causing flight diversions and delays. Halifax Airport Authority spokesperson Tiffany Chase noted that four flights were diverted while several others faced cancellations or delays before one runway reopened.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has initiated an investigation into the suspected landing gear malfunction by deploying a team to assess its cause. Until this investigation concludes, the damaged aircraft remains on-site with passengers' belongings held.

This event follows a tragic aviation accident in South Korea earlier in which a Jeju Air 737 crashed off a runway resulting in 179 fatalities. Despite these unsettling circumstances, no casualties occurred during the Halifax incident.

PAL Airlines operates as a regional carrier headquartered in St. John’s under an Air Canada codeshare agreement, providing connectivity across Eastern Canada.

Authorities are currently investigating maintenance protocols and emergency response measures related to this incident based on initial video footage showing wings scraping along the runway igniting sparks and flames.