A passenger aircraft carrying dozens of travelers experienced a suspected landing gear malfunction while descending in Canada. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.
On Tuesday, PAL Airlines flight AC2259, departing from St. John’s, Newfoundland, encountered a suspected mechanical issue that caused sparks to emanate from the aircraft as it landed at Halifax Stanfield International Airport around 9:30 PM the previous day. Eyewitnesses reported that the plane halted while visibly tilting to one side.
Seventy-three passengers were on board at the time of the incident. Both passengers and crew were swiftly evacuated to safety using buses. Officials confirmed no injuries were reported.
Passenger Nikki Valentine recounted the harrowing experience: “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.”
As a safety precaution, Stanfield International Airport temporarily suspended all aircraft operations immediately following the incident. However, they could resume flights on one runway after 90 minutes.
Air Canada, a partner of PAL Airlines, disclosed that the aircraft involved was a twin-engine De Havilland DHC-8-402 (also known as a Bombardier Q400). Preliminary investigations suggest the plane experienced landing gear issues during its final approach. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has announced plans to investigate the incident thoroughly.
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