The unfortunate event took place on Saturday evening, around 9:30 p.m. local time (on the night from Saturday to Sunday, Central European time). A PAL Airlines plane flying from the Canadian port of St. John's was forced to make an emergency landing at another airport due to damage to the landing gear. One of the machine's wings then ran over the groundwhich led to engine and parts of the aircraft catch fire.
– The aircraft began to bank approximately 20 degrees to the left, and as this happened, we heard quite a loud sound – which sounded almost like the sound of a collision – when the plane's wing began to slide down the runway along with what I assumed was the engine – reports Nikki Valentine, a passenger quoted by CBC News. In her opinion, the plane's wheels did not unfold properly when the plane was coming in for landing.
Landing on fire. Quick rescue operation, no casualties
While passengers watched the burning engine through the window, the pilots tried to stop the plane one side was on fire.
Local rescue services rushed to their aid. People were quickly evacuated and examined. Valentine's account shows that no one was hurtapart from the shock caused by the whole situation.
The airport where the incident occurred remained temporarily closed. One of the runways is now available again. For now the exact cause of the failure is not known – an investigation into this matter is ongoing.