TORONTO- Travelers aboard an Air Canada (AC) flight from Tokyo Haneda (HND) to Toronto (YYZ) experienced a harrowing incident on Monday when their Boeing 777-300ER aircraft landed amidst strong winds at Pearson Airport, narrowly avoiding a disaster.
A video shared on the aviation-focused YouTube channel Wake Turbulence Aviation captures the alarming event as the aircraft, completing its almost 12-hour journey (AC2), encountered intense crosswinds.
Air Canada Crash Averted
The Boeing 777-300ER’s wings exhibited violent rocking moments before safely landing on runway 06L/24R, surrounded by tire smoke.
The footage seems to have been captured from a location south of Convair Drive facing north, providing a view of the aircraft landing in a westerly direction on runway 06L/24R amidst strong crosswinds reaching 17 knots (31.5 km/h) and gusts of 26 knots (48 km/h).
The apparent skillful response of the pilots played a crucial role in preventing flight AC2 from becoming a historical aviation incident, as they adeptly adjusted to the sudden shift in wind conditions, averting a potential disaster.
A spokesperson from the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, responsible for Pearson Airport, declined to comment on the occurrence and suggested reaching out to Air Canada for further details.
Official Statement
In response, an Air Canada representative informed blogTO that “Air Canada flight AC002 from Narita experienced a hard landing due to crosswinds on arrival at Toronto Pearson on Nov. 13.”
The airline added, “Although the Boeing 777 aircraft taxied to the gate normally after landing, as a precautionary measure, it was taken out of service for a full inspection.”
Air Canada reported that none of the 373 passengers aboard were injured.
“As part of its standard operating procedures, Air Canada is reviewing the event, including regulatory reporting requirements,” states the airline’s official statement.
“Air Canada’s pilots are skilled professionals who are trained to handle any range of situations safely, including adverse wind conditions.”
It is noteworthy that the return leg of the journey back to Narita International Airport in Tokyo utilized a different aircraft from the one featured in the landing video, substituting another 777 with an equally notable history at Pearson Airport.
Similar Incident
Surprisingly, the substitute aircraft seems to be the same one implicated in the most recent aviation incident at Pearson Airport—albeit a minor one—on March 7, 2020. This particular Air Canada Boeing 777-300 (registration C-FJZS), previously operating as AC Flight 606, was involved in a runway incursion incident.
It has been nearly two decades since the last major crash at Pearson Airport, which took place in August 2005 with the Air France Flight 358 incident, resulting in serious injuries for 12 individuals but miraculously no fatalities.
Moreover, it has been over 40 years since a fatal crash occurred at the airport, the most recent incident being the June 1983 crash of a WW2-era Douglas C-47 cargo plane that led to the tragic death of both crew members.
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