What happened
On 07 September 2025, a Boeing 737-800 operated by WestJet was arriving at Princess Juliana International Airport in St. Maarten from Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International Airport. The flight was carrying 157 passengers and 6 crew members.
As the aircraft was landing on Runway 10, the right main landing gear collapsed. This failure caused the right engine nacelle to strike the runway surface. The aircraft suffered substantial damage before coming to a halt on the runway. Following the incident, a planned evacuation was carried out via the left side of the aircraft. While the gear collapse itself did not cause injuries, one minor injury was reported during the evacuation process.
The investigation
The TSB is conducting the investigation under delegation from the St. Maarten Civil Aviation Authority, collaborating with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing, and WestJet.
Initial analysis of flight data recorder information suggests that the landing was not a hard landing event. During the physical examination of the aircraft, investigators discovered that the right gear aft trunnion pin had fractured. The two broken pieces of the pin have been transported to the TSB Engineering Laboratory in Ottawa for detailed analysis. Records indicate that the right main landing gear had previously undergone an overhaul in 2016.
Findings
- The investigation has identified a fractured aft trunnion pin in the right main landing gear as the primary factor in the gear collapse.
- Flight data indicates the landing parameters were normal and did not involve a hard landing.