An Air Canada flight experienced a terrifying landing at Halifax Airport when the aircraft skidded off the runway and caught fire due to a broken landing gear. Thankfully, there were no immediate reports of any casualties.
This incident occurred just hours after a Boeing 737, which landed at Muan Airport in South Korea, caught fire, tragically resulting in the deaths of all but two passengers.
Videos purportedly from the scene showed the plane’s wings scraping the runway, sparking the fire. The aircraft involved in the Halifax incident was reportedly operated by PAL Airlines, serving Air Canada flight AC2259 from St. John’s to Halifax./TWI
Fiery South Korea airliner crash
Coincidentally, just hours earlier, a Jeju Air plane carrying 181 passengers exploded after landing at Muan Airport. Only two passengers survived, while the remaining 179 were presumed dead in the disaster.
Jeju Air flight 7C2216, which had departed from Bangkok, Thailand, and was carrying 181 passengers, was attempting to land at an airport in southern South Korea shortly after 9 a.m. (0000 GMT), according to the country’s transport ministry. This marks the deadliest air disaster involving a South Korean airline in nearly three decades, based on ministry records.
Two crew members, a man and a woman, were rescued from the tail section of the burning plane, reported Muan’s fire chief, Lee Jung-hyun, during a briefing. The fire was brought under control by 1 p.m., Lee confirmed.
Authorities have shifted from rescue to recovery operations, and due to the force of the crash, they are also searching surrounding areas for any bodies that may have been ejected from the plane, Lee added.