"The cabin tilted, and I saw sparks flying." Even in Canada, a passenger plane faced a dangerous situation during landing due to landing gear malfunction. Fortunately, there were no casualties.
According to AP News and others, around 9:30 PM local time on the 29th, such a situation was confirmed on PAL Airlines flight AC2259 landing at Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Nova Scotia, Canada. There were 73 passengers and crew members on board the aircraft.
Passenger Nikki Valentine told AP News about the atmosphere at the time, saying, "There was a tremendous commotion. The cabin tilted, and we saw sparks flying and flames. Then smoke started to be sucked in."
The aircraft came to a stop while tilted, and all 73 people, including crew members, immediately moved to a safe area using buses. There were no casualties among the passengers. Stanfield International Airport temporarily suspended aircraft takeoffs and landings immediately afterward but later resumed operations on one runway.
Air Canada, a partner of PAL Airlines, confirmed that the aircraft involved was a Bombardier Q400. They also explained that a suspected problem with the landing gear during landing prevented the plane from reaching the terminal gate normally. The Canadian Transportation Safety Board (TSB) is currently investigating the incident.
Valentine expressed gratitude for the quick control of the situation. Passengers left all their belongings inside the aircraft during disembarkation. It may take up to three days to receive checked luggage. Valentine added, "Many people left behind essential items like house keys and wallets. Of course, safety is much more important than these inconveniences, but it is not easy."
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