Pile of snow pulled passenger plane off runway in British Columbia: safety board

RICHMOND, B.C. – Safety changes have been made after a WestJet Encore passenger plane went off a snow-covered runway in Terrace, B.C., last year.

The Transportation Safety Board says in a report that the De Havilland aircraft was landing with 43 passengers and four crew aboard on Jan. 31, 2020.

The report says the airport had cleared a 30-metre wide path on the runway.

The report says the plane’s wheels hit a pile of snow left behind by a plow and was pulled from the runway after it landed off centre in windy conditions.

The nose landing gear collapsed into the fuselage, damaging the aircraft, although there were no injuries to passengers or crew.

The report says WestJet Encore has revised its handbook on runway operations, while The Terrace-Kitimat Airport Society has revised its winter maintenance plan to align with Transport Canada regulations.

“If aircraft operators do not provide pilots with all the possible tools and relevant information to assess runway suitability for landing, pilots may not evaluate all potential threats and may make decisions based on incomplete or conflicting information,” the report released Thursday concludes.

Feature image by iStock.com/Dushlik