Air Canada Flight 624
| Industry | Airline |
|---|---|
| Founded | April 10, 1937 |
| Headquarters | Montreal , Canada |
Key people | (not specified) |
| Products | Air transportation services |
Number of employees | (not specified) |
| Website | www |
Air Canada Flight 624 was a domestic passenger service operating between Toronto Pearson International Airport and Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Nova Scotia. On 29 March 2015, amid heavy snowfall and limited visibility, the Airbus A320-211 aircraft touched down short of the runway, resulting in significant structural damage. Twenty-five individuals sustained injuries, with two classified as serious.
Accident
The flight took off from Toronto carrying 133 passengers and a crew of five aboard an Airbus A320 registered as C-FTJP. The aircraft made contact with terrain approximately 225 meters before reaching runway 05 at Halifax, which does not feature precision approach systems. It collided with an ILS-LOC antenna array, causing the landing gear to detach and severing a power line that interrupted the airport’s electricity supply for nearly 90 minutes. The plane then ascended an embankment to align with the runway level, slid along its underside, and came to rest 570 meters beyond the runway threshold.
The airplane lost all landing gear components and its left engine; damage extended to the wings and horizontal stabilizer. Hospital treatment was required for two pilots, one flight attendant, and 23 passengers; none suffered life-threatening injuries, and all but one were discharged on the day of the incident. Weather conditions were characterized by severe winter storms. Electrical power was reinstated by 02:12 ADT.
Although the aircraft sustained irreparable damage and struck objects outside the airport perimeter, Air Canada initially described the occurrence as a "hard landing."
Aircraft and crew
The involved aircraft was an Airbus A320-211 equipped with two CFM56-5A1 engines, bearing serial number 233 and fleet number 214, with its maiden flight in 1991. Owned by GECAS, it was leased to Air Canada and subsequently declared a total loss following the accident.
The captain had accumulated over nine years of service with Air Canada and logged 11,765 flight hours, including 5,755 hours on the Airbus A320 model. The first officer possessed 15 years of experience with the airline and had flown 11,300 hours overall, with 6,392 hours on the A320.
Investigation
The inquiry was spearheaded by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, with assistance from experts of the Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) from France and technical advisors from Airbus. In response to this event, Air Canada updated its Standard Operating Procedure for the Airbus A320-200.
Published in May 2017, the final investigation report found no mechanical defects but highlighted critical factors contributing to the crash. It determined that reliance on automation during the selected landing mode (Flight Path Angle Guidance) led to an excessive descent rate. The flight crew failed to adequately monitor altitude or runway position after passing the final approach fix, missing that the autopilot had descended steeply below the minimum safe altitude. Poor visibility further diminished their situational awareness.
Litigation
A class action suit was initiated against Air Canada, Halifax Airport Authority, NAV Canada, Transport Canada, Airbus, and the flight crew, alleging negligence responsible for the accident and subsequent physical and psychological injuries to passengers. As of May 2024, litigation remains active with a trial scheduled for 2026. In addition, individual claims are under medical review, with compensation offers varying according to injury severity.
On 30 March 2017, Air Canada filed a lawsuit against Airbus alleging that the manufacturer did not disclose deficiencies of the Airbus A320 system, including unexpected descents beneath programmed glide path parameters.
See also
- Accidents and incidents involving the Airbus A320 family
- Air Inter Flight 148, another Airbus A320-111 that crashed during a non-precision approach in France, resulting in 87 fatalities.
- American Airlines Flight 1572, which struck terrain on final approach without any loss of life.
Further reading
External links
- Aviation accidents and incidents in 2015
- Airliner accidents and incidents in Canada
- Accidents and incidents involving the Airbus A320
- Air Canada accidents and incidents
- 2015 disasters in Canada
- Airliner accidents and incidents involving controlled flight into terrain
- March 2015 in Canada
- History of Halifax, Nova Scotia
- Halifax Stanfield International Airport
- Airliner accidents and incidents caused by pilot error