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Officials at Montreal’s Trudeau Airport are warning of service delays Thursday evening after an incident with an Air Canada plane led to the temporary closure of the runway.
In an email to CBC, Air Canada said flight AC774, which arrived from Los Angeles around 4 p.m., left the taxiway after landing.
“There were no injuries,” the message said.
The Boeing 737 Max plane, carrying 156 passengers and six crew members, landed normally but “suffered a runway excursion and skidded across the grass as it exited the main runway.”
By 7:45 p.m., Air Canada confirmed that all passengers and crew had disembarked and were being bused to the terminal.
Passenger details horrific ordeal
Barbara Edelston Peterson, a passenger on the flight, told CBC’s Ian Hanomansing live from the airport that she was still shaken by the experience.
Edelston Peterson said it was pouring rain at the time and she felt something was wrong as soon as the plane hit the runway.
“We were driving really fast and suddenly there was a strong smell of smoke and the next thing I knew we were falling on the grass,” she said.
“There was smoke, dirt and grass right outside my window, so I couldn’t see anything outside.”
WATCH | A flight passenger describes the moment the plane took off on the runway:
‘Near-death experience’: Passenger recalls fear on runway after landing in Montreal
On Thursday afternoon, flight AC774 from Los Angeles skidded off the taxiway after landing at Trudeau Airport in Montreal. Barbara Edelston Peterson, a passenger on the flight, recounts the incident.
The moments that followed were terrifying, she said. “We didn’t know if (it would) explode.”
Edelston Peterson said she and other passengers were stuck on the plane for about three hours before they were able to disembark.
She described the team as a “class act” for the way they handled the aftermath.
Air Canada said it would tow the plane to a hangar for a “full inspection.”
The carrier said it was launching a detailed investigation into the incident and would work with the appropriate authorities to determine the cause.
WATCH | The plane veered off the taxiway after landing at Montreal Airport:
Montreal airport has closed its runway after a plane veered off course after landing, but no one was injured.
Montreal’s Trudeau International Airport is warning of service delays after an Air Canada flight from Los Angeles veered off the taxiway after landing. No one was hurt.
Check flight schedules
A spokesman for Montreal’s Trudeau Airport said the temporary closure of the runway – one of two at the airport – is causing delays of about 30 minutes for domestic and international flights. Flights to the United States are experiencing longer delays, ranging from 45 minutes to an hour, but there have been no flight cancellations as a result of the incident.
The runway reopened shortly before 10pm, but passengers should check flight schedules before traveling to the airport.
Nav Canada, the non-profit organization that operates the country’s civil air navigation system, told CBC it has implemented traffic control measures at the airport, including a temporary ground stop and subsequent flow restrictions.
Measures have been taken “to manage arrivals and departures safely.”
The Canadian Navy said weather in the region “also contributes to operational complexity and delays.”
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada confirmed it has opened an investigation.
“We are sending investigators to the scene to gather information and assess the incident,” a spokesperson told CBC in an email.