Upon landing in Halifax, a Boeing 737-800 of the Canadian airline WestJet slid off the runway. The airport had experienced a snowstorm. No injuries were reported.
The aircraft, registered C-FUJR, was carrying out flight WS248 from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) to Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ), Canada, on January 5, 2020, with 172 passengers and seven crew members on board.
The flight crew requested assistance after landing as they were not sure of their position. The Boeing 737 was found past the threshold of runway 14/32, where it ended its course on soft ground. Passengers were deplaned using mobile stairs and were taken on buses to the terminal. None of the occupants were injured. The aircraft appeared undamaged.
The first group of passengers have left. Each coach carries 20 people. So 40 people has left. But since this is a full, big plane, and I am in the third last row in the back. I’m going to be here for a while. pic.twitter.com/GKWqUqCaz3
— Eric Wynne (@EricW_Photos) January 5, 2020
As a result of this incident, the runway of Halifax was closed while a preliminary investigation by the Canadian Transportation Safety Board took place.
WestJet was forced to cancel two flights between Halifax and St John’s, as well as the return flight to Toronto. “We apologize to our guests for this experience. We will continue to work directly with them to ensure their comfort during this situation,” the company said on Twitter.
On November 11, 2019, an American Airlines Embraer ERJ-145 skidded off the runway of O’Hare International airport after heavy snowfall. As the right main landing gear collapsed, the right-hand wing hit the ground. People on board were unharmed.
