An Air Canada plane caught fire this weekend during an emergency landing in Nova Scotia.
On Saturday, December 28, around 9:30 p.m. local time, Air Canada Express Flight 2259 skidded down the runway at Halifax Stanfield International Airport, causing a wing fire, according to videos shared on X (formerly known as Twitter) .
Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick told The Associated Press that the plane had a “suspected landing gear problem” upon arrival at the airport. He added that the aircraft failed to reach the terminal, so the crew and 73 passengers were transferred there by bus. The spokesman also said there were no reports of injuries.
Customers have yet to receive their belongings as they wait for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to clear the plane, Fitzpatrick told the AP.
Air Canada did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Sunday, Dec. 29.
Various signs at Halifax Stanfield International Airport.
Getty
Halifax Stanfield International Airport said in a post on Instagram that its “airport was briefly closed” following the incident.
“All passengers and crew on the plane have since been disembarked and transported from the airport,” the airport wrote.
One of the airport’s two runways has since reopened, although flights may still be delayed, according to an update posted by the Canadian airport on Instagram on Dec. 29.
“Safety is our top priority,” wrote Halifax Stanfield International Airport. “We encourage passengers to check flight status directly with their airline or on our website before going to the airport.”
A spokesperson for Halifax Stanfield International Airport told PEOPLE in a statement that the incident occurred upon arrival of a flight from St. John’s, a town in Newfoundland and Labrador.
“Our 24-hour emergency services team immediately responded to the aircraft and assisted the passengers and crew,” they said. “All passengers and crew on board the aircraft were safely disembarked and transported from the airport for medical evaluation while our ERS team stabilized and inspected the aircraft.”
According to the airport, the airport was only closed for about 90 minutes on Dec. 28, resulting in the diversion of four flights and “several cancellations and delays.” The spokesman added: “The aircraft remains on the closed runway at this time pending an investigation by the Transport Safety Board, whose representatives will be on site today.”
The Royal Nova Scotia Mounted Police told PEOPLE they responded to the incident along with first responders.
“All passengers and crew were safely evacuated from the aircraft and examined by EHS with no injuries,” police said.
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In an interview with CBC, passenger Nikki Valentine said one of the plane’s tires did not inflate properly after landing on the runway.
“The plane started to bank at about 20 degrees to the left and, as that happened, we heard a pretty loud — almost crash sound — as the wing of the plane started to slide on the pavement, along with what I assume was the engine “, she said.
Valentine added that the plane “shook quite a bit and we started to see fire on the left side of the plane and smoke started coming out of the windows.”
The incident on the plane remains under investigation.
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