A plane that suffered a hard landing, which sparked flames at Halifax Airport, has now been moved and the runway is operational again.
The Air Canada Express flight operated by PAL Airlines arrived from St. John’s, Newfoundland, Saturday evening and attempted to land at Halifax Stanfield International Airport.
Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said Saturday evening that the plane suffered a “suspected landing gear problem” after arrival and could not reach the terminal.
He said none of the 73 passengers or crew members were injured.
Canada’s Transportation Safety Board is investigating an incident involving a plane at Halifax Stanfield International Airport, which a passenger described as a hard landing that sparked flames.
COURTESY: Steve Mahar
One passenger, Steve Mahar, said the severity of the situation became apparent when the cabin began to fill with smoke.
“For a moment it seemed really unusual, then you felt the left side fall, which is when the landing gear completely gave way and the left side of the plane was sliding on the tarmac with the engine,” he said.
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“Then sparks were flying. You could just see it through the window. Then the sparks became flames and at that point it looked like slow motion.
In a statement released Monday, a Halifax Airport spokesperson said the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) completed its review of the area Sunday evening and gave approval for the plane’s removal .
“We assisted our airline partners in safely moving the aircraft,” communications manager Leah Batstone wrote in an email to Global News.
“The runway was inspected and reopened today (December 30) at 10:15 a.m. Both runways are now available for regular flight operations.”
The TSB continues its investigation.
— with a report from Angela Capobianco of Global News
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