Air Canada Express flight evacuated after landing incident in Halifax

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia -- An Air Canada Express flight with 73 passengers aboard had to be evacuated on the runway upon landing at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Nova Scotia after experiencing a suspected problem with its landing gear, officials for the airline said.

No passenger or crew injuries were reported in the incident, which occurred at about 9:30 p.m. local time Saturday, according to airport officials.

Bystander video showed the twin-engine propeller Bombardier Q400 aircraft lying partially on its belly with its wings tilted to one side as passengers, including several children, were being evacuated, with voices saying to "get away from the airplane." Emergency vehicles were then seen dousing the aircraft with what appeared to be water.

Air Canada Express Flight AC2259, which was operated by the regional Canadian carrier PAL Airlines, originated in St. John's Newfoundland and was scheduled to land at the Halifax airport, according to a statement from Air Canada.

The airline said the flight crew "experienced a suspected landing gear issue after arrival at Stanfield International Airport."

"As a result, the aircraft was unable to reach the terminal and customers were offloaded using a bus," the airline said. "There were no injuries reported, however we appreciate this incident was unsettling for customers and we remain available to assist them."

The cause of the incident is under investigation by the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) of Canada, airport officials said.

"At this time, we are waiting for the TSB to release the aircraft so we can return to customers their belongings," according to the Air Canada statement.

"Out of respect for the investigative process we cannot speculate and have no additional information to provide at this time," the airline said.

The airport was briefly closed after the incident, according to the Halifax Stansfield Airport X account, but returned to operation by Sunday morning, though one runway remained closed.

"Safety is our top priority," the statement on X said.