A potential disaster was narrowly avoided on Saturday, December 28, when an Air Canada flight landing at Halifax Stanfield International Airport experienced a malfunction that caused one of its wings to scrape the runway, igniting a fire.
The incident occurred at approximately 9:30 p.m. AT as the flight, operated by PAL Airlines, arrived from St. John’s. Passengers reported a tense landing, with the aircraft tilting sharply to a 20-degree angle and emitting a loud crash-like noise upon touchdown. Nikki Valentine, one of the passengers, explained that a tire on the plane failed to deploy correctly, causing the wing to skid along the runway.
“The plane tilted sharply, and we heard a loud noise like a crash,” Valentine told CBC News. “The wing scraped the ground, and moments later, we saw fire and smoke entering the cabin through the windows.” The pilots managed to bring the plane to a stop using the brakes, allowing the 80 passengers onboard to be safely evacuated.
Halifax airport authorities confirmed the incident and stated that passengers were quickly moved to a hangar for medical evaluations. While shaken, no injuries were reported, and emergency response teams praised the swift evacuation and containment of the fire.