Halifax airport response in question after flight’s fiery landing, evacuation

An advocacy radical for airdrome information is calling for an probe into a caller rough landing astatine the Halifax airport that resulted successful an motor occurrence and evacuation.

There were 73 passengers and 4 unit members connected committee the Air Canada Express flight, operated by determination bearer PAL Airlines, erstwhile it landed astatine Halifax Stanfield International Airport connected Dec. 28, 2024.

Steve Mahar, a rider connected that flight, says not lone was the incidental frightening, but the aftermath was poorly managed.

First, helium had to leap astir four-and-half feet to wide the craft due to the fact that determination was nary exigency level to escort passengers.

Then, helium and the different passengers were forced to basal connected the tarmac for an hr successful the cold.

“My parents are there. They’re seniors. They’re cold. There’s children determination that are cold,” helium said.

“At slightest get a fewer radical blankets that you surely person successful your vehicles oregon get them successful your vehicle. The radical who are the astir susceptible retired here. And frankly, thing was done for that.”

Mahar says eventually, they were picked up by 2 shuttle buses and taken to a hangar.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) said successful a little study this week that a blown tyre was to blasted for the incident.

The study recovered that a tyre connected the near broadside of the De Havilland Dash 8 blew isolated arsenic the turboprop craft was taking disconnected from St. John’s International Airport.

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When the level touched down successful Halifax astatine 9:30 p.m., the blown tyre caused a vibration that unlocked a brace stabilizing the landing gear. As the landing cogwheel collapsed, the near propeller struck the runway, causing a occurrence successful the near engine.

The group, Advocates for Safer Airports successful Canada, says the TSB should spell further and analyse the airport’s exigency effect plan.

Doing so, says the group’s chair, Chris Bussey, could gully attraction to exigency preparedness standards crossed the country.

“There is nary oversight of an exigency readying wrong airports successful Canada. And conscionable the operation that they’re using, successful our view, is putting passengers astatine risk,” helium said.

Bussey added that the existent strategy results successful constricted standards that airports person to travel and says Canadian aviation regulations “fall short” of the planetary standards.

“Nobody has a look astatine the exigency program oregon the effectiveness of the exigency program extracurricular the audit of the airdrome authorization to conscionable the regulation,” helium said.

Halifax Stanfield International Airport declined an interrogation erstwhile asked for comment.

Halifax instrumentality firm, Wagners, says it has been contacted by respective passengers and is evaluating whether it volition correspond them successful a projected class-action lawsuit.

— with files from The Canadian Press