1st major for these chaps.
http://www.herald.ns.ca/Front/473606.html
No injuries when 737’s wing hits runway
By DAVENE JEFFREY Staff Reporter
No one was injured when the wing of a WestJet Boeing 737 hit the runway at Halifax International Airport Christmas evening, but air industry officials are investigating.
"This is the first significant incident that we’ve had," said a spokeswoman for the Calgary-based airline, which has been in business for the past 10 years.
All 130 passengers and six crew members on board Flight 178, which originated in Toronto, were uninjured, Gillian Bentley said.
"On landing, the left wing touched the ground," Ms. Bentley confirmed.
Until that point, there had been nothing unusual about the instrument landing approach, she said. She could not say what caused the accident, which occurred at about 7:25 p.m.
"WestJet will be doing a full investigation," she said. Investigators with the Transportation Safety Board will also look into the incident.
The accident left some debris on the runway, and the plane has been taken out of operation, Ms. Bentley said. The airport had two runways operating at the time of the accident, airport authority spokeswoman Gina Connell said.
"We did have a number of cancellations and diversions due to dense ground-level fog," Ms. Connell said.
The affected runway was closed for a short period after the accident for an inspection and then was reopened, an official with Nav Canada confirmed Monday.
The flight had been scheduled to continue on to Newfoundland. Passengers were taken off that plane and put on a later flight the same evening, Ms. Bentley said.
Delays at the Halifax airport continued Boxing Day but were apparently unrelated to the accident or conditions here.
"There has been a large number of delays due to weather in Toronto and Montreal," Ms. Connell said.
"This morning, there were a lot of long lineups at the airport," she said.
Among those held up by fog in Halifax on Christmas Day were Kathryn Davies and her boyfriend, who were heading to her home in Windsor. The pair flew out of Los Angeles in the morning but had to stay overnight in Montreal when their flight to Halifax was cancelled.
"It was a $350 layover," Ms. Davies said, adding that her Boxing Day brunch at the Hilton paled in comparison to being home at her mother’s table. The couple eventually got a flight to Halifax in the afternoon.
"We’re pretty worn out," Ms. Davies said during a cellphone interview shortly before 6 p.m. as the couple were driving from the airport to the Valley.
Ms. Davies has seen a lot of airports during the past few days. The 35-year-old stage manager, who had been working in the Middle East, flew into Los Angeles to meet her boyfriend earlier this week.
At home, her parents, sister and an aunt who had come from Wales for the holidays had put their Christmas festivities on hold until Ms. Davies’ arrival.
"It’s the family annual lobster dinner I’m waiting for," Ms. Davies said.
According to the airport authority’s website, most flights in and out of Halifax were expected to be close to on time Monday evening.
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