Air Canada A320 in very heavy landing at Halifax, left runway

[RooFlyer]

This sounds like a nasty one, but fortunately no fatalities. Hull looks intact, but damaged.

Aviation Herald reporting that the plane came down short of the runway and clipped a power line.

Edit: Airport response sounds interesting:

“There was a couple people, all bloodied. Everybody was able to get out, but what was worse was that they left us for an hour outside in the blowing snow. I mean, we’re all freezing and we’re looking and going, ‘Why isn’t anybody coming to get us?’" said passenger Lianne Clark.

Once off the plane, the passengers ran away from the plane "because the fuel was coming out and we were scared," she said.

Passengers were very cold, especially given that some were in shorts because they were coming from southern destinations and some had taken off their shoes while on the plane.
Scott Murray, one of dozens of family members waiting for loved ones on the flight from Toronto, told CBC News his father was on the plane and called to say "that the plane crashed and he's all right."

 

[samh004]

Hull looks intact, but damaged.

That'll buff out...

 

[jackthomas]

Geez, That's a rough one.. :-|

 

[juddles]

I think this one managed to cross that line from ¨heavy landing¨ to ¨crash¨

 

[Aussie_flyer]

I think this one managed to cross that line from ¨heavy landing¨ to ¨crash¨

There is no doubt. Its a plane crash . No heavy landing here

 

[Ansett]

Not sure it wont be a hull loss looking at the photos in the following link. Not been a good time for Airbus crashes.

Air Canada jet skids off Halifax runway, at least 23 injured - 9news.com.au

 

[Skyring]

Passengers were very cold, especially given that some were in shorts because they were coming from southern destinations and some had taken off their shoes while on the plane.

I often take off my shoes, especially on longhaul flights, but put them back on during descent for this very reason. I might need to leave in a hurry, and if so it's not going to be soft carpet I'm walking on.

Looking at a report of the crash, it appears that the plane hit powerlines on approach, which removed the landing gear, the plane touched down on the runway and slid to a halt, coming to rest on the runway not far past the threshhold.

Deficiencies in the airport emergency response may have been due to an inexplicable power outage which occurred around the same time as the crash.

 

[TomVexille]

Yeah. Shoes on for landing always.

At least most seem to be okay with only one still in hospital and expected to be released today.

 

[juddles]

I often take off my shoes, especially on longhaul flights, but put them back on during descent for this very reason.....

Same here.

But, in this case, is it a possibility they took their shoes off for the slipperydip ride on the exit slide??

 

[eric2011]

Oh bugger, I'm flying AC next month, hope they can fix it in time

 

[RooFlyer]

I think this one managed to cross that line from ¨heavy landing¨ to ¨crash¨

I was making an (admittedly very obscure) reference to a previous Air Canada damaging landing which was described as a 'heavy landing'. They breed 'em tough over there.

 

[Skyring]

I was making an (admittedly very obscure) reference to a previous Air Canada damaging landing which was described as a 'heavy landing'. They breed 'em tough over there.

A lot of the commentary seemed to be focussed on the distinction. Most of the curmudgeon media people seemed to take exception with the initial description of a "heavy landing", thinking that an incident that sheared off the wheels and one of the engines deserved a less misleading title.

I think they were lucky to get the thing down more or less safely. Apparently they circled for an hour before committing. What a place, where they have to land in blizzards.

 

[RooFlyer]

<snip>

I think they were lucky to get the thing down more or less safely. Apparently they circled for an hour before committing. What a place, where they have to land in blizzards.

Tell me about it! The single most frightening flying experience I have had, by a long way, was a landing at Saskatoon during an intense storm in winter.

 

[jb747]

This will be interesting. 335 metres short of the runway, is about 600 metres short of the aim point. So, it would have to be about 100 feet lower than the nominal profile. That's a lot on an ILS...so the question will have to be why they ended up so low to start with.

 

[RooFlyer]

Video on Canadian TSB briefing and questions here. Video of wreckage here.

 

[RooFlyer]

Speaking of "hard landings " and "collision with terrain" this may be of interest http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/canada/nov...-crash-hard-landing-too-soft-a-term-1.3015457

 

[jb747]

Most passengers have never experienced a hard landing. Oh, you've certainly all felt a really solid one, and if you flew the 767 much, then you've felt them a lot. But, before it's actually a hard landing, it has to be over a certain 'g' level. On the 767 and 747 that was (if I recall correctly) 1.8g. A normal landing is about 1.1-1.2 g, and a really solid one is about 1.4 g. A landing without a flare at all is likely to be close, but won't necessarily exceed the limit.

On the other hand, if you flew the A4 or any of its ilk, then all landings were hard....

 

[clazman]

I was on a AC flight the next day and when they handed out the Canadian newspaper the first thing you saw was the crash photos, very reassuring when you are flying the same aircraft

 

[mannej]

I was on a AC flight the next day and when they handed out the Canadian newspaper the first thing you saw was the crash photos, very reassuring when you are flying the same aircraft 

They would have done an amazing job to get the same aircraft back into service so quickly!

 

[clazman]

Oops same type of aircraft