Boeing pilots made a chilling mayday call before being forced to make an emergency landing in Canada.
Pilots onboard the Nolinor Flight 662 made a ‘Pan Pan’ emergency call – a message alerting air traffic control of an urgent but non-emergency situation – while it was flying toward its layover stop at Saguenay-Bagotville Airport.
However, the flight with 87 passengers and seven crew members ended up making an emergency landing at Mirabel in Montreal, but the tower had not been informed of the plane’s distress call on Wednesday.
When asked, the pilot affirmed the warning, saying: ‘We had this from the start on the approach to Bagotville. I’m really curious that the transfer from Montreal wasn’t included in the message on Pan! Pan!’
Moments later, the urgent call turned into an emergency as the plane, which was experiencing a flap problem, touched down and the left landing gear malfunctioned and the plane landed off balance, according to CTV News.
‘Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! Nolinor 662,’ the pilot told air traffic control.
The pilot had originally declined having firetrucks on the runway during landing as he didn’t think they would need it for a flap problem, but the controller quickly sent some as smoke rose from the aircraft.
‘We’re rolling the [emergency] vehicles,’ the controller told the pilots, according to CTV News.
Pilots onboard the Nolinor Flight 662 made a ‘Pan Pan’ emergency call – a message alerting air traffic controller of an urgent but non-emergency situation – while it was flying toward its layover stop at Saguenay-Bagotville Airport
However, the flight with 87 passengers and seven crew members ended up making an emergency landing at Mirabel in Montreal, but the tower had not been informed of the plane’s distress call on Wednesday
‘Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! Nolinor 662,’ the pilot told air traffic control. The pilot had originally declined having firetrucks on the runway during landing as he didn’t think they would need it for a flap problem, but the controller quickly sent some as smoke rose from the aircraft
The smoke quickly dissipated and no fire broke out on the aircraft. All passengers and crew were evacuated safely via slide
The smoke quickly dissipated and no fire broke out on the aircraft. All passengers and crew were evacuated safely via slide.
The Boeing aircraft was intended to fly from Quebec City’s Jean Lesage Airport to Wabush airport in Newfoundland and Labrador with a pitstop at Saguenay-Bagotville Airport, according to CTV News.
The incident is being investigated by the Transportation Safety Board.
‘During deceleration after landing with the flaps retracted at Montreal-Mirabel airport, the left main landing gear collapsed until the left engine touched the ground. The aircraft continued on its engine-supported path until it came to a complete stop on the runway,’ TSB summary said, according to CTV News.
The aircraft did suffer ‘significant damage’ and images of the plane on the runway show it heavily leaning with the fan on the ground.
The flight’s passengers eventually departed Montreal-Trudeau Airport on Wednesday evening.