Newly released photos of Air Canada crash landing in Halifax
Digital Reporter
Wednesday, September 30, 2015, 12:30 PM - Several months after Air Canada flight AC624 made a crash landing amid heavy snow at Halifax's Stanfield International Airport, newly released photos show the severe damage sustained to the passenger cabin of the airplane.
The pictures are part of the latest update in an ongoing investigation being conducted by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada and were made public this week.
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Investigators have compiled technical documents, weather reports, air traffic control communications and incident reports in order to understand and identify what caused the plane to come down back in March 2015.
Weather reports from the time of the accident state that winds were blowing near 37 km/h, with gusts up to 48 km/h. Blowing snow meant visibility was around 800 metres in front of the plane and only 100 metres below.
Data from the plane's flight recorder indicate that there were no mechanical deficiencies or fuel shortage at the time of the crash.
Damage to the interior and exterior of the airplane can be seen in the images below, including one photo that reveals the floor on the right side of the cabin was punctured from below by parts of the aircraft structure.
On March 29, while en route from Toronto to Halifax, an airbus carrying 133 passengers and five crew touched down 335 metres short of the runway at around 12:40 a.m. local time, briefly becoming airborne again until coming to rest on the runway.
At least 25 people were taken to hospital and treated for minor injuries. Most passengers, many of whom were returning from vacations in the south, were forced to exit the crashed vessel via an emergency shute amid below-freezing temperatures, light snow and gusty winds.
During the approach the engines of the aircraft severed power transmission lines, and then the main landing gear and rear fuselage impacted the snow-covered ground. The airplane also damaged an antenna array.
According to the safety agency the next phase of the investigation the agency will evaluate pilot training and performance during the crash.
Source: Transportation Safety Board of Canada
- With files from Daniel Martins
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