The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is investigating an incident involving a plane at Halifax Stanfield International Airport, which a passenger described as a hard landing that sparked flames.
Nikki Valentine, who was on board the PAL Airlines flight, said passengers felt a “massive rumble” upon landing Saturday evening.
“The cabin tilted, we saw sparks, then flames, then smoke started being sucked into the cabin,” Valentine said Sunday.
Airport spokesperson Tiffany Chase said an Air Canada Express flight operated by PAL Airlines from St. John’s, Newfoundland, experienced a landing incident around 9 p.m. 30 p.m.
Air Canada Spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said the Bombardier Q400 plane experienced a “suspected landing gear problem” after arriving and was unable to reach the terminal.
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Fitzpatrick said the crew and 73 passengers were taken off the bus and no one on board was injured.
Valentine said she was “especially grateful that the pilot was able to understand the situation very quickly.”
The incident temporarily halted flight operations at the airport.
As of Sunday afternoon, Valentine and the other passengers still did not have the bags they were supposed to leave on the plane. Valentine said she contacted Air Canada, who told her it could take up to three more days before their bags were returned as the investigation into the incident continues.
“A lot of people have things like house keys or wallets that they needed and couldn’t get,” she said.
“It’s a normal procedure, and I prefer the inconvenience (of missing luggage) rather than if something bad had happened, of course, but it’s still difficult.”
