Plane removed from Halifax runway after fiery landing
An aircraft that made a fiery landing at Halifax Stanfield International Airport on Saturday night has finally been removed from the runway, as confirmed by the airport authority. Leah Batstone, a spokesperson for the airport, stated that the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) completed its investigation of Air Canada Flight 2259, operated by PAL Airlines, and approved the removal of the aircraft on Sunday evening.
The TSB took the aircraft to a “safe location” for further examination, focusing specifically on the left landing gear, according to Hugo Fontaine, a TSB spokesperson. The runway where the plane was located was reopened on Monday morning after being closed for 90 minutes following the landing incident. This closure resulted in the diversion of four flights and caused a few cancellations and delays, but most airport operations returned to normal by Sunday.
In a statement released on Monday, Air Canada mentioned that both Air Canada and PAL Airlines crews have been unloading cabin and checked baggage and reuniting them with passengers. The TSB investigators have been deployed to investigate the accident involving the de Havilland DHC-8-402 aircraft.
The flight from St. John’s experienced a suspected landing gear issue, according to Air Canada. The airline stated that they could not return the belongings of the 73 passengers until the TSB released the aircraft. Passengers on the flight described sparks and flames coming from the left side of the aircraft as it skidded down the runway around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday. The cabin filled with smoke as the plane came to a halt, causing panic among passengers.
Aden O’Callaghan, a passenger on the flight, described the chaotic scene inside the cabin as some passengers attempted to gather their belongings before evacuating. He mentioned that it took a long time to evacuate as he urged others to prioritize safety over belongings. Another passenger, Steve Mahar, noted the significant drop from the plane to the runway, which caught many passengers off guard.
Fortunately, Nova Scotia RCMP reported only minor injuries from the incident. Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick expressed gratitude for the cooperation of the passengers and reassured them that the airline is available to assist them with any concerns. Operations at Halifax Stanfield International Airport are now returning to normal after the removal of the aircraft from the runway.
