HALIFAX: An Air Canada flight, skidded off the runway and partially caught fire at Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Nova Scotia, Canada, on Sunday.
The flight operating as AC2259 under PAL Airlines, was en route from St. John’s to Halifax.
According to initial reports, a malfunction in the aircraft’s landing gear led to the incident. There are no immediate reports of casualties.
As a precaution, the airport was shut down temporarily following the accident, with emergency services responding promptly to the scene.
According to a passenger, Nikki Valentine the plane was arriving from St. John’s when it suffered a problem while landing, tilted at around a 20-degree angle to the left, and a crash-like loud sound came.
“The plane shook quite a bit and we started seeing fire on the left side of the plane and smoke started coming in the windows,” she said.
Read also: At Least 176 Killed In South Korea Plane Crash
Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick says the plane experienced a “suspected landing gear issue”. The aircraft was unable to reach the terminal and the crew and 73 passengers were off-loaded by bus.
The incident occurred just hours after a deadly plane crash in South Korea killed 179 people.
BBC reported that the Boeing 737-800 flight – operated by airline Jeju Air – had 181 people on board including six flight staff. Families of the victims congregated at the airport as officials continued to search the wreckage.
Footage online appears to show the plane coming off the runway and crashing into a wall, before bursting into flames.
Both incidents have raised concerns over landing gear malfunctions in aviation, prompting authorities to initiate investigations into the causes of such failures. The air travel community is awaiting further updates on the situation in both Canada and South Korea.
