Air Canada Plane Catches Fire, Makes Scary Landing; Halifax Airport Temporarily Closed

An Air Canada flight, operated by PAL Airlines, experienced a harrowing incident on a Saturday night at Halifax airport when its wing caught fire after skidding on the tarmac during landing. The event, which occurred at approximately 9:30 pm AT, led to the aircraft being evacuated and passengers taken for medical evaluations. According to reports, the plane had a near capacity of 80 passengers, most of whom witnessed the frightening ordeal.

Nikki Valentine, a passenger aboard the flight arriving from St. John's, recounted the terrifying moments. She described how, during the landing, the aircraft tilted to a 20-degree angle to the left, accompanied by a loud noise similar to a crash. This noise marked the beginning of the wing and possibly the engine scraping against the pavement. Valentine detailed how the plane continued to skid down the runway for a significant distance before the pilots could bring it to a halt. Amidst the chaos, passengers noticed fire and smoke entering the cabin from the left side, causing understandable panic.

The specific cause of the malfunction that led to this dangerous situation was identified by Valentine as a tire that failed to deploy properly upon landing. This malfunction contributed to the plane's skewed landing and subsequent scraping of its wing against the runway, igniting the fire observed by passengers. Halifax airport authorities have confirmed the involvement of Air Canada Flight 2259 in the incident through an official statement. However, the statement did not disclose the number of individuals aboard the aircraft.

Following the incident, passengers were swiftly evacuated from the distressed aircraft and escorted to a hangar, where paramedics were on standby to assess any injuries. Despite the potential for serious harm, the quick response of the flight crew and emergency services helped avert a greater catastrophe.