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Air Canada Flight 624

Coordinates: 44°51′53″N 63°31′42″W / 44.8646°N 63.5284°W / 44.8646; -63.5284
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Not to be confused with Air Canada Flight 621.

Air Canada Flight 624
C-FTJP, the aircraft involved in the accident, pictured in 2008
Accident
Date29 March 2015 (2015-03-29)
SummaryControlled flight into terrain due to pilot error
SiteHalifax Stanfield International Airport, Nova Scotia, Canada
44°51′53″N 63°31′42″W / 44.8646°N 63.5284°W / 44.8646; -63.5284
Aircraft
Aircraft typeAirbus A320-211
OperatorAir Canada
IATA flight No.AC624
ICAO flight No.ACA624
Call signAIR CANADA 624
RegistrationC-FTJP
Flight originToronto Pearson International Airport, Ontario, Canada
DestinationHalifax Stanfield International Airport, Canada
Occupants138
Passengers133
Crew5
Fatalities0
Injuries25 (2 serious)
Survivors138

Air Canada Flight 624[1][2][3] was a scheduled Canadian domestic passenger flight from Toronto Pearson International Airport to Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Halifax, Nova Scotia. During heavy snow and poor visibility, at 00:43 ADT (03:43 UTC) on 29 March 2015, the Airbus A320-211 landed short of the runway and was severely damaged. Twenty-six people were injured.

Accident

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Air Canada Flight 624 departed from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) bound for Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ). It was carrying 133 passengers and five crew. The Airbus A320 operating the flight, registration C-FTJP, impacted the ground 225 metres (738 ft) short of the threshold of runway 05 (which is not equipped for precision landing),[4] smashing through an ILS-LOC antenna array. This impact caused the landing gear to separate from the aircraft. The plane also impacted a power line, which cut power to the airport.[5] The aircraft then climbed an embankment up to the runway level, skidded on its belly and stopped 570 metres (1,870 ft) past the threshold.[4] The Halifax airport was without electricity for about 90 minutes.

The aircraft was extensively damaged, having lost all landing gear and its port engine. The wings and tailplane were also damaged. Both pilots, twenty-three passengers and a flight attendant were taken to hospital. None of the injuries were life-threatening,[4][6]: 7  and all but one of those taken to hospital were released the same day.[7] The weather at the time of the accident was described as "stormy" (winter conditions). The loss of power to the airport was due to the aircraft clipping transmission lines before hitting the ground.[8] Electricity was restored to the airport by 02:12 ADT.[5][6]: 7 

While the aircraft collided with objects outside the airport perimeter and was damaged beyond repair, Air Canada initially described the accident as a "hard landing".[9]

Aircraft and crew

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The aircraft was an Airbus A320-211 equipped with two CFM56-5A1 engines. Its serial number was 233 with a fleet number of 214, and it first flew in 1991. It was owned by GECAS and leased to Air Canada. As a result of the accident, the aircraft was written off.[10]

The captain had been with Air Canada for more than nine years and had logged 11,765 flight hours, including 5,755 hours on the Airbus A320. The first officer had been with the airline for 15 years and had 11,300 flight hours, with 6,392 of them on the Airbus A320.[6]: 8 

Investigation

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The accident was investigated by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.[11][6] Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) investigators from France and two technical advisers from Airbus travelled to Canada to participate in the investigation.[12] As a result of the accident, Air Canada revised its incorrect Airbus A320-200 Standard Operating Procedure.

The final report was released in May 2017, and showed no mechanical faults contributing to the accident, but identified multiple contributing factors for the accident. Investigators determined that the airline's standard operating procedure in regard to the selected landing mode (Flight Path Angle Guidance) was over-reliant on the Airbus' automation and led to excessive loss of altitude. Per the SOP, the crew need not have monitored the aircraft's altitude or relation to the runway to make any subsequent adjustments to the flight path angle after the final approach fix. Subsequently, the captain and first officer failed to notice or respond to the fact that the aircraft autopilot selected a steep vertical angle flight path, causing a drop below the minimum safe altitude. Furthermore, limited visibility hampered the crew's ability to accurately perceive their surroundings.[6]

Litigation

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A class action lawsuit was introduced against Air Canada, the Halifax Airport, NAV Canada, Transport Canada, Airbus and the aircraft's pilots which alleges that negligence on the part of the defendants caused the crash, inflicting physical and psychological harm onto the passengers.[13] As of November 2022, the lawsuit was still ongoing.[14] Other separate lawsuits are being assessed by medical professionals, with settlements based on the relative severity of each client's injuries.[15]

On 30 March 2017, Air Canada filed a lawsuit against Airbus, alleging that the manufacturer "failed to identify shortcomings of the Airbus A320", which included uncommanded descent below the pre-programmed glide path.[16]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Air Canada AC624 touched down 335 metres short of runway, TSB says". CBC News. CBC. March 29, 2015.
  2. ^ "Air Canada Flight AC624: Toronto to Halifax – AC624 Air Canada Flight". Airportia.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  3. ^ "Full flight information and flight history for Air Canada aircraft C-FTJP". Flightradar24 AB. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  4. ^ a b c Hradecky, Simon (March 29, 2015). "Accident: Air Canada A320 at Halifax on Mar 29th 2015, touched down short of runway". The Aviation Herald. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  5. ^ a b "Air Canada AC624 slides off runway in Halifax, 23 sent to hospital". CBC News. CBC. March 29, 2015. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Collision with terrain, Air Canada, Airbus Industrie A320-211, C-FTJP, Halifax/Stanfield International Airport, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 29 March 2015" (PDF). Transportation Safety Board of Canada. May 18, 2017. A15H0002. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 30, 2017. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  7. ^ "Air Canada Flight 624 crashes into power line upon landing in Halifax". Global News. Global Television Network. March 29, 2015. Archived from the original on March 29, 2015. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  8. ^ "Airbus A320 Air Canada plane crashes on runway at Halifax airport". The Independent. March 29, 2015. Archived from the original on March 30, 2015. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  9. ^ "Air Canada Flight 624 crash: 'Hard landing' too soft a term?". CBC News. March 31, 2015. Archived from the original on April 28, 2019. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  10. ^ "C-FTJP Air Canada Airbus A320-211 – cn 233". Planespotters.net. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  11. ^ Doucette, Keith. "23 treated in hospital after Air Canada plane slides off Halifax runway". Citynews. Archived from the original on March 29, 2015. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  12. ^ "Flight AC 624, Airbus A320, registered C-FTJP – Halifax Stanfield International Airport (Canada), 29 March 2015" (Archive). Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety. Retrieved on April 2, 2015.
  13. ^ "Air Canada 624 class action certified". NEWS 95.7. December 20, 2016. Archived from the original on July 1, 2018. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  14. ^ Jim Bronskill (November 25, 2022). "Halifax air crash voice recording can be disclosed in civil case, Supreme Court rules". Wings. Archived from the original on April 22, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  15. ^ "One year after Air Canada crash, passengers say they struggle with PTSD". CBC News. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  16. ^ Thomson, Aly. "Air Canada lawsuit accuses Airbus of negligence in Halifax crash landing". Atlantic. Retrieved March 31, 2017.

Further reading

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