Twenty three in hospital after Air Canada flight slides off Halifax runway

HALIFAX – It was a frightening ride for the passengers and crew aboard an Air Canada jet that skidded off a runway as it landed during a snow storm in Halifax.

Flight AC624 from Toronto had 138 people on board — 133 passengers and five crew.

The R-C-M-P and officials at Halifax Stanfield International Airport said 25 were taken to area hospital.

Air Canada, however, says it has confirmed that 23 people were taken to hospital for observation and treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

The airline adds that 18 of those 23 have since been treated and released.

The A320 Airbus landed just after midnight local time, with several passengers saying it hit the runway hard and then skidded on its belly for about 30 seconds.

The passengers quickly headed for the exits, scrambling down emergency chutes and out into the snow storm to wait for buses to pick them up.

Some complained about having to wait for about an hour in the cold and snow for the buses to arrive.

There was no indication from officials whether the blinding snow was a factor in the rough landing.

Some passengers said they believed the aircraft hit a power line as it touched down.

The electricity did go off at the airport, but Nova Scotia Power didn’t say why — only that it was quickly restored.

Extensive damage was clearly visible to the jet’s nose, tail and one wing.

Passenger Randy Hall said the landing gear, at least one engine and a wing were ripped off.

Transportation Safety Board investigators are headed to the airport today to assess the situation.

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