What happened
During the early hours of 29 March 2015, an Airbus Industrie A320-211, registered as C-FTJP, was performing a scheduled flight from Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International Airport to Halifax/Stanfield International Airport. The aircraft, operated by Air Canada as flight 624, was carrying 133 passengers and 5 crew members. While the crew was executing a non-precision approach to Runway 05 in darkness, the aircraft made contact with power lines. Following this impact, the plane struck the snow-covered terrain roughly 740 feet in advance of the runway threshold.
After the initial ground contact, the aircraft briefly remained airborne as it passed through a localizer antenna array. The aircraft then struck the ground two additional times before sliding along the runway surface. The sequence ended when the plane came to a halt on the left side of the runway, approximately 1900 feet past the threshold. While there was no fire following the impact, the aircraft was destroyed. During the evacuation, 25 people sustained injuries and required transport to nearby medical facilities. The emergency locator transmitter failed to activate during the event.
Findings
- The aircraft struck power lines prior to making contact with the ground.
- The impact occurred during the night while the aircraft was on a non-precision approach.