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Passenger recalls terrifying crash-landing at Canadian airport, describing how smoke filled the cabin as the airplane caught fire.

by Tasha Mayberry

867 shares

The flight was arriving in Nova Scotia from St. John’s, a city in Newfoundland and Labrador, on December 28.

An Air Canada plane caught fire during a crash-landing in Nova Scotia this weekend.

On Saturday, Dec. 28, at around 9:30 p.m. local time, Air Canada Express Flight 2259 skidded down the runway at Halifax Stanfield International Airport, causing one of its wings to catch fire, according to videos shared on X (formerly Twitter).

Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick told the Associated Press that the plane had experienced a “suspected landing gear issue” upon arriving at the airport. He also noted that the aircraft was unable to reach the terminal, so the crew and 73 passengers were transported there by bus. Fitzpatrick added that no injuries were reported.

Customers have yet to receive their belongings, as they are waiting for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to release the plane, Fitzpatrick told the AP.

Air Canada did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Sunday, Dec. 29.

Halifax Stanfield International Airport shared on Instagram that its “airfield was closed briefly” following the incident.

“All passengers and crew on board have since been deplaned and transported off the airfield,” the airport stated.

One of the airport’s two runways has since reopened, though flights may still face delays, according to an update on Dec. 29.

“Safety is our top priority,” Halifax Stanfield International Airport wrote. “We encourage travelers to check their flight status directly with their airline or on our website before leaving for the airport.”

A spokesperson for the airport told PEOPLE that the incident occurred when the flight arrived from St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.

“Our 24/7 Emergency Response Services team responded immediately to the aircraft and assisted passengers and crew,” the statement said. “All passengers and crew on board were safely deplaned and transported off the airfield for medical assessment while our ERS team stabilized and inspected the aircraft.”

The airport confirmed that the airfield was closed for about 90 minutes on Dec. 28, which led to the diversion of four flights and “a handful of cancellations and delays.”

The spokesperson added, “The aircraft remains on the closed runway at this time pending an investigation by the Transportation Safety Board, who will have representatives on-site today.”

The Nova Scotia Royal Canadian Mounted Police told PEOPLE that they responded to the incident with first responders.

“All passengers and crew were safely evacuated from the plane and cleared by EHS with no injuries,” the police said.

In an interview with CBC, passenger Nikki Valentine claimed that one of the plane’s tires failed to deploy properly upon landing on the runway.

“The plane started to sit at about a 20-degree angle to the left, and as that happened, we heard a pretty loud — what almost sounded like a crash sound — as the wing of the plane started to skid along the pavement, along with what I presume was the engine,” she said.

Valentine added that the plane “shook quite a bit, and we started seeing fire on the left side of the plane, and smoke started coming in the windows.”

The airline incident is still under investigation.