Air travel has become an everyday convenience, connecting people across vast distances.
However, even routine flights can take a terrifying turn when things go wrong. Such was the case for passengers aboard an Air Canada flight that experienced a dangerous landing at Halifax International Airport.
The incident occurred on Saturday evening at around 9:30 p.m. local time. Air Canada Flight 2259, operated by PAL Airlines, was en route from St. John’s to Halifax when it encountered trouble during landing, according to CBC News.
According to passengers, one of the plane’s tires failed to deploy properly, creating a tense and chaotic situation.
Nikki Valentine, one of the passengers, described the terrifying moments as the aircraft touched down.
"We heard a loud bang. The plane’s wing began skidding across the tarmac, and then it went off the runway," she said. The pilots made desperate attempts to bring the plane to a stop.
Panic grew when passengers noticed fire and smoke. "The plane was shaking a lot. We saw fire on the left side and smoke started coming in through the windows," Valentine added.
Emergency crews acted quickly. All passengers were safely evacuated and taken to a hangar for medical checks.
Halifax Airport released a statement confirming the incident but did not disclose the number of people onboard.
As a result of the crash, the airport temporarily shut down. Later, one of its runways was reopened to resume operations.
Authorities have launched an investigation into what caused the landing gear to malfunction.
This incident follows a separate plane crash in South Korea on December 29, where a landing mishap resulted in the aircraft skidding off the runway and colliding with a fence.
That tragedy claimed the lives of 120 people.
The events at Halifax, while frightening, ended with all lives saved.
